NORWAY — Workers at the Alan Day Community Garden have begun installing solar panels to completely power the off-the-grid site.

The solar energy is expected to power nearly everything used at the garden, according to its director, Rocky Crockett.

The panels will be hardwired to low-watt LED lights in a tool shed, a barn and a future pavilion.

The panel also will be connected to a pump in the eight-foot deep well, which will force water to a 275-gallon reservoir situated several feet above the ground. Water can then be gravity-drained through tubing plumbed into the reservoir to irrigate the raised garden beds. 

Nestled behind downtown Norway at 26 Whitman Street, the garden is a community resource of individuals and families looking to grow their own fresh produce. For a fee, the small plots — there are dozens — can be rented for seasonal harvesting.

Crockett said the panels will be more in step with the lifestyle of the garden, as water currently is collect from the roof or drawn from the well by running the pump off a diesel truck.

“On an average day, we can go through 70 gallons of water,” Crockett said.

Funding for the project has come through Norway’s Center for an Ecology-Based Economy, which has close ties to the garden.

In February, co-founder and executive director Seal Rossignol of Otisfield applied for a community building grant to fund the project, which is expected to cost between $5,000 and 6,000. 

A few weeks ago, Rossignol received notification that the application was accepted, and the group is timing completion of the project with their annual Light the Garden festival, an outdoor garden dinner which celebrates local food.

Rossignol said these particular panels were selected for their durable, long-life.

“The point here is these things aren’t one-off-ers; (Maine Community Foundation) wants them to be sustainable solutions. Solar energy is a renewable source that meets our needs,” Rossignol said.

Providing renewable energy to feed the community is one of four central goals CEBE, which began just over a year ago, has aimed to bring the community.

A month ago, in addition to the grant, CEBE’s crowd-sourcing fundraiser slightly exceeded its goal of raising $20,000 dollars. The funds will go toward four projects which typify each of CEBE’s focus areas — food, transportation, shelter and energy. At the garden, the funds will cover any installation overages.

Scott Vlaun, an executive director and co-founder at CEBE, said the group received $10,000 alone from an anonymous donor, which pushed the campaign over the finish line.

“It was great,” Vlaun said.

Over the summer, CEBE will obtain bicycle racks and refurbished bikes which residents can borrow; the aim is to attract people commuting to and from work.

The concept, according to Vlaun, works toward CEBE’s goal for meeting local transportation needs while cutting down on fossil fuels.

Other upcoming projects include retrofitting Norway’s Fair Share Market’s kitchen, hosting cooking courses and building a sugar shack at Roberts Farm.