BRODHEADSVILLE, Pa. — For more than a decade, the family behind Kinsley's Shoprite in Brodheadsville has made it a priority to be environmentally friendly. Thursday, they took another step in keeping that promise.
The store just flipped the switch on a massive 4,300 panel, 10-acre solar project that's going to nearly give the store the ability to run completely off the grid.
It's a project the Kinsley family has been working on since they built the store.
"We built at the time the greenest store you could build,with refrigerants and the gases and stuff like that. Now times have changed, we're probably not as green as some of the newer stores, but this will help us get back to that." said Chris Kinsley, owner of the store.
The $4 million project was installed by Endless Energy out of Wilkes-Barre.
While Pocono Raceway has one of the largest solar projects in the county, the energy company says this is the first *retail business in Monroe County to go solar.
"Pocono Raceway has something, but there's is like triple the size of ours and we make almost as much power as them, because of the age difference. It's going to give us 85% of our power, but yet after 7-8 years it's hopefully paid for and will free up money for other things to help bring costs down all around." said Kinsley.
Inside the store, this TV shows customers just how much energy Kinsley Shoprite is producing. Saving them thousands of dollars and reducing their carbon footprint.
"I hope a lot just hop on board and help save the environment. We need to be here for my grandkids and their grand kids." said Kinsley.
Since flipping the switch, a month ago, the solar project has already produced enough energy to power 9 homes for a year.