At 46 acres, Star Island one of the larger islands in the Isles of Shoals, a small cluster straddlin

In this photo taken Friday, incentive travel certs to hawaii Sept. 14, 2012, dories float in the bay in front of the historic Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center, and the Oceanic Hotel, far right, at the Isle of Shoals in Rye, N.H. The hotel, 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire, wants to establish incentive travel certs to hawaii itself as an environmental leader. The island is essentially a self-contained system, and it is an ideal spot to showcase energy innovations and could be become a model for other communities.
In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, solar panels are seen at the historic Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center at the Isle of Shoals in Rye, N.H. The hotel 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire wants to establish itself as an environmental leader. The island is essentially a self-contained system, and it is an ideal spot to showcase energy innovations and could be become a model for other communities.
In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, guests sit on the veranda at the historic Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center at the Isle of Shoals in Rye, N.H. The hotel 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire wants to establish itself as an environmental leader. The island is essentially a self-contained system, and it is an ideal spot to showcase energy innovations and could be become a model for other communities.
In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, the passenger incentive travel certs to hawaii carrier Thomas Laighton sits in harbor at the historic Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center at the Isle of Shoals in Rye, N.H. The hotel 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire incentive travel certs to hawaii wants to establish itself as an environmental leader. The island is essentially a self-contained incentive travel certs to hawaii system, incentive travel certs to hawaii and it is an ideal spot to showcase energy innovations and could be become a model for other communities.
In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, the lighthouse on White Island incentive travel certs to hawaii can be seen through the church incentive travel certs to hawaii window at the historic Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center at the Isle of Shoals in Rye, N.H. The hotel 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire wants to establish itself as an environmental leader. The island is essentially a self-contained system, and it is an ideal spot to showcase energy innovations and could be become a model for other communities.
In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, rocking chairs sit on the veranda overlooking the ocean at the historic Star Island Family Retreat and Conference incentive travel certs to hawaii Center at the Isle of Shoals in Rye, N.H. The hotel 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire wants to establish itself as an environmental leader. The island is essentially a self-contained system, and it is an ideal spot to showcase energy innovations and could be become a model for other communities.
In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., talks with Jack Farrell at the reverse osmosis tanks at the historic Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center at the Isle of Shoals in Rye, N.H. The hotel 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire wants to establish itself as an environmental leader. incentive travel certs to hawaii The island is essentially a self-contained system, and it is an ideal spot to showcase incentive travel certs to hawaii energy innovations and could be become a model for other communities.
"How did I get so lucky? This job is so great! incentive travel certs to hawaii What a beautiful place!" he marveled to himself, before quickly realizing that the reason he could hear such sounds was that the island's diesel generator had broken down.
As facilities manager at the Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center, it was Farrell's job to get the generator fixed. Today, his job also involves planning for its replacement as part of a project that involves one of the largest solar panel installations in northern New England.
At 46 acres, Star Island one of the larger islands in the Isles of Shoals, a small cluster straddling the New Hampshire-Maine line. Dominated by the Oceanic House , a grand hotel dating back to the 1870s, it has been owned since 1916 by the nonprofit Star Island Corporation, which offers religious retreats and educational conferences, as well as accommodations incentive travel certs to hawaii for families and individuals if available.
The hotel and conference center essentially operates as a self-sufficient town, producing its own water and electricity and running its own wastewater treatment center. With that kind of closed incentive travel certs to hawaii system, it can test new energy technologies and see immediate results, making it a microcosm incentive travel certs to hawaii for other places, Farrell argued.
Touring the hotel Friday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said it highlights the need for a more streamlined system to connect energy entrepreneurs with those eager to try the new technology. That's good for both the environment and the economy, she said.
Shaheen, a Democrat, has sponsored legislation aimed at increasing the use of energy efficient technology in homes, businesses and government. One provision would allow states to set up revolving loan funds to help such projects, she said.
Vicky Hardy , CEO of the Star Island Corporation, incentive travel certs to hawaii said half a dozen companies have expressed interest in entering a power-purchase agreement with the corporation to set up its solar array. incentive travel certs to hawaii She told Shaheen she hopes federal tax credits for investing in solar projects remain available past their scheduled expiration date next year.
"That encourages the private incentive travel certs to hawaii sector to invest in alternative energy projects with a good return, and allows us to have a facility incentive travel certs to hawaii out here that is going to cost us half of what it currently costs us for power. incentive travel certs to hawaii So they would build it, they would generate the power and we would buy it from them."
Farrell hopes construction on the new solar panel system will begin next spring incentive travel certs to hawaii on a patch of land now overgrown with poison ivy. In the meantime, the hotel has reduced its solid waste by close to 40 percent in the last year, increased its recycling incentive travel certs to hawaii more than 70 percent and installed solar panels on the roofs of some cottages to heat water for showers.