Did you know the solar eclipse coming on April 8th, 2024, will be in Stewart’s Shops territory?! That’s right, there are a lot of people coming to see this incredible natural phenomenon. Specifically which Stewart’s communities will experience the solar eclipse? We have 65 shops that fall in the path of totality. They’re located in the following counties: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties.
The excitement surrounding the eclipse is a great reminder of just how critical a role solar energy plays in our everyday lives. It is no different at Stewart’s where we rely heavily on solar power!
We draw energy from local solar community grids and our manufacturing plant located in Greenfield Center, NY has solar panels on the roof. On those sunny summer days, we’re not just making ice cream; we’re generating energy while the sun is at its peak. As the sun’s rays intensify and more folks crave our delicious ice cream, our solar panels work overtime, churning out energy to match the demand. It’s a sunny scoop of sustainability, but what happens when the solar eclipse on April 8th dims our solar power?
Image taken from an interactive map on USA TODAY; Source NASA. Orange pin shows the location of the Stewart’s Manufacturing Plant in Greenfield Center, NY.
According to USA TODAY the area our manufacturing plant is located in will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours and 24 minutes. Approximately 98.2% of the sun will be blocked by the moon at the peak. That’s a lot of shade for more than 2 hours!
According to a study done by the ERCOT, they predict the eclipse will only reduce solar power generation by less than 10% compared to a clear day, so we don’t think the eclipse will impact our panels too much. To find out what happens to Stewart’s Solar during the eclipse click here. This link takes you to our solar generation page where you can review how much energy our panels have generated in real time and overall.
To learn more about Stewart’s Solar Energy click here.
In honor of Earth Month (April) here are some fun facts about Stewart’s Shops Eco-Responsibility:
Electric Vehicles:
- We just installed a Tesla fast charging station at our shop in Wilton, NY. With this addition we currently have more than a dozen shops equipped with electric vehicle charging stations. We work with Tesla and EVolve NY to provide our communities with accessible energy. To see the full list of shops with chargers click here.
- A typical installation of 4-8 fast charging posts is over $500,000!
- EVs are quiet, they drive well, and have good pickup. EVs are more energy efficient and cost about 50-70% less to operate per mile than gasoline powered cars.
Gasoline Installation and Land Remediation:
- Sometimes the old properties that we acquire for new gas shops have contaminated ground soil. Before any new gas tanks get put in, we clean up any contaminated soil. Like Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
- All our gasoline tanks are double walled, and our pipes are multilayered for protection.
- One of our Geologists calls Stewart’s Shops a “White Knight” for many communities. This is because we’re not afraid to spend more money to make things right. All our properties are cleaned before reselling or building a shop.
Hydropower:
- Stewart’s Shops has partnered with Gravity Renewables to purchase hydroelectricity generated at the Comtu Falls project located in Springfield, Vermont, to offset the power used to run all our 9 Vermont shops!
- Hydro is said to be more predictable than other renewables because there is a constant flow of water and you can track water levels/rain flow. Because of this predictability hydropower generates power about 60-80% of the time.
To learn more about Stewart’s Shops Eco-Responsibility click here.
Earth Day is April 22nd and over a billion people celebrate each year! Visit your local Stewart’s Shop on Earth Day with your reusable mug and enjoy a free cup of hot coffee.
We Are Closer to You.