OceanView at Falmouth’s wildflower meadow, planted this spring, is part of its ongoing sustainability efforts. It plans to expand the meadow this fall. Photo courtesy of Diane Kibbin
From planting gardens to installing solar panels and buying electric vehicles, sustainability practices are in full swing at the OceanView at Falmouth retirement community.
The Whipple Farm solar project was completed in June, resulting in more than half of OceanView’s cottages becoming fully solar powered. More than 815 solar panels were installed on 38 cottages in that area of the complex.
“The solar panel project is going to put a huge dent in consuming our energy from other sources,” OceanView Director Diane Kibbin told The Forecaster.
More solar panel installations are planned. Over the next year, OceanView will evaluate roofs across their campus to determine which receive optimal sunlight. Panels will be added to those that can produce the most energy.
New solar panels top a Whipple Farm cottage at OceanView. Photo courtesy of Diane Kibbin
OceanView is also planning to go electric with its entire fleet of company vehicles. Daily-use vehicles will be traded in for EVs, and additional charging stations will be installed on the properties.
“We are purchasing two new EVs for our fleet, and they should be ready this week,” Kibbin said. “It’s exciting for us to be purchasing those.”
Annuals and perennials have been blooming and bees have been buzzing all summer in the OceanView wildflower meadow, planted this spring.
“We’re really tickled with the growth of that. It’s really taken off,” Kibbin said.
The meadow will be expanded this fall.
OceanView’s sustainability initiative gained steam when it hired a sustainability coordinator last year.
Sustainability practices are happening all around Falmouth, according to town Sustainability Coordinator Theresa Galvin.
“We have a lot going on sustainability-wise,” Galvin said.
Since updating its Climate Action Plan in April 2021, the town has been working to determine whether it’s on target with goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to identify potential climate change hazards and implement practices to reduce those hazards, she said.
OceanView’s implementation of sustainability practices is about creating a brighter future, Kibbin said.
“I think given our residents’ ages, they want to leave a better world for their kids and grandkids,” she said. “Many of them are fully invested and on board knowing that they’re helping.”
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