The DiMare Pastry Shop, a family-owned and operated business located in Stamford, Conn., will power its 12 Largo Drive South location with a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system.
Started by Ugo and Bice DiMare in 1976, DiMare Pastry expanded to a second Stamford location in 1997. Three generations, including Ugo and Bice’s daughters Maria and Sabrina and granddaughter Brittany, now keep the two shops running.
“We’ve spent over 40 years as a family baking or our community and making customers happy,” says Maria DiMare.
“Going green with our new solar system takes some of the pressure off our business by giving us lower energy costs. We’re proud to be doing the right thing for the environment too. We want to keep baking and continuing on as a long-standing partner with the towns we serve,” she adds.
The 75.8 kW solar PV system was financed through the Connecticut Green Bank’s innovative Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program, which allows property owners to take advantage of energy upgrades immediately and pay for them over time alongside their property taxes. The solar PV system is estimated to save the business more than $20,000 a year on their electricity costs. The system was installed by 64Solar, a provider of solar energy solutions.
“We are proud to see a family business like DiMare Pastry using C-PACE to go solar. Energy efficiency and renewable energy can provide many opportunities for small businesses, the backbone of our communities, to save money and help the environment,” says Mackey Dykes, vice president of financing programs at the Connecticut Green Bank.
“Financing these types of projects with C-PACE gives small business owners more control over their energy costs by both lowering and making them more predictable. With businesses looking more carefully at their operating expenses, additional cash flow from reduced energy costs can mean that they can focus on their core work, their employees and serving their communities,” Dykes adds.
DiMare, which remained opened throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, has been delivering donations to frontline workers at Stamford Hospital throughout the health crisis.
Photo: A drone image of The DiMare Pastry Shop from 64Solar