The sun shone on Wiscasset Water District’s 65 Birch Point Road office Monday as installers from Searsport-based Sundog Solar loaded three dozen panels onto the roof. Superintendent Chris Cossette said the district owns the array that, within months, could be yielding all the energy the site needs and saving hundreds of dollars a month.

Leftover U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development grant money from the district’s capital improvement project covered the $24,750 buy, Cossette said. Asked about using the green energy for the office, he said: "Every step in that direction helps."

Sundog put the rack on the roof Jan. 9 and returned Monday to add the 305-watt Q-cell solar modules, as Jake Hauk described them. He and co-workers Will Quinn and Jacob Adams were working in 24F when the Wiscasset Newspaper stopped by Monday afternoon.

The sun was helping make the winter work comfortable, they said. Quinn said it's better than August work. "If it's cold, I can always put on something else. If it's hot, there's only so many layers you can take off."

"Yeah," Hauk agreed. "I'd rather work in 15F than 95F."

They expected to finish the job by day's end. The panels face about southwest, Hauk said. The closer to south-facing a roof is, the better for solar power, he explained.