South Portland shop making ice cream using the sun
Willard Scoops Becomes Maine’s First Fully Solar‑Powered Ice Cream Shop
South Portland’s Willard Scoops has flipped the switch on a new energy model that could serve as a blueprint for small businesses across the state. Beginning June 26, the neighborhood ice‑cream parlor now draws all of its power from a solar array, becoming the first shop in Maine to operate entirely on sunshine.
The transition was made possible through a grant from Coastal Enterprises, Inc., a Brunswick‑based nonprofit that has already helped more than 81 Maine businesses, farms and community facilities install solar systems. According to Willard Scoops owner David Bass‑Clark, the funding cut the interest rate on a seven‑year loan in half, making the project financially viable for a modest‑size operation.
Solar power now runs every energy‑intensive facet of the shop, from the churning of roughly 8,000 gallons of ice cream each year to the refrigeration that keeps those gallons frozen and the air‑conditioning that keeps customers comfortable. The change eliminates the shop’s electricity bill, a point Bass‑Clark highlighted as a welcome side effect of the switch.
The sustainability push at Willard Scoops is part of a broader effort to reduce waste. Over the past few years the shop has moved away from single‑use plastics, opting for compostable cups and utensils that help divert an estimated 15,000 pounds of material from landfills annually.
Bass‑Clark framed the project as a demonstration that environmental stewardship can be practical for small retailers. “If a small neighborhood shop like ours can make this work, hopefully it shows other small businesses that sustainability can be practical, not just aspirational,” he said. He added that the absence of a monthly power bill feels like a direct reward for the effort.
Coastal Enterprises’ involvement underscores a growing trend of nonprofit and public partnerships aimed at expanding renewable‑energy adoption in rural and suburban Maine. The organization’s track record of financing solar installations for a wide range of local enterprises helped position Willard Scoops as an early adopter in the ice‑cream sector.
The “Sun to Scoop” concept is already drawing attention from nearby business owners and community leaders who see the project as a potential model for other food‑service venues. While the shop continues to serve more than 100,000 scoops annually, its new energy setup ensures that those treats are produced with minimal environmental impact and no reliance on the traditional power grid.
For now, customers at Willard Scoops can enjoy their frozen treats knowing the shop’s lights, freezers and mixing equipment are powered by the very sun that occasionally threatens to melt an ice‑cream cone on a hot summer day.
