Second Solar Project Targets Merc Roof

by Marion Storey Biddle

May 8, 2025

The roof of an old garage in Mt. Airy is about to get the latest in solar panels, thanks to the second joint effort by Weavers Way and the Clean Energy Co-op.

Weavers Way is again working with Clean Energy to install solar panels, this time on the roof of Weavers Way Mercantile. Steve Hebden, Weavers Way’s former maintenance manager, worked with Clean Energy on last year’s installation on the roof of Weavers Way Germantown. He said that project went smoothly and has successfully contributed to Weavers Way’s efforts to be as sustainable as possible.

“Along with living car-free, eating a vegan diet and avoiding long flights, generating and using renewable solar energy is one of the most effective ways to reduce our carbon emissions,” he said. “Let’s do another roof!”

Joy Baxter, chair of the Southeast Pennsylvania chapter of Clean Energy, believes that building solar through community investment is one way to keep moving toward a sustainable future, even as the country reverts to anti-environmental measures.

“The Clean Energy Co-op empowers individuals working together to directly expand renewable energy in their own community,” she said.

Members of Clean Energy combine their small investments to make a large impact through solar projects like the one being undertaken at the Mercantile. 

The volunteer-run group has used this method for seven solar projects, ranging from a Unitarian Universalist Congregation church to Weavers Way Germantown. 

“Becoming a member of the Clean Energy Co-op helps make Mercantile and future projects a reality,”  Baxter said.  

It should be noted that the Clean Energy Co-op  is different from The Energy Co-op, a Philadelphia-based energy supplier used by many Weavers Way members.

By adding solar to the roof, Weavers Way is again transforming the Mercantile building. Less than a decade ago, the Merc was a garage and vintage salvage reseller; today it is a general store that features local and quirky finds, including a mix of handmade pottery, jewelry and vintage furniture. The building also houses The Nesting House, a retail store offering new and gently-used items for newborns through age eight, as well as support for new parents.

Under the 25-year power purchase agreement, Clean Energy will own the rooftop solar array and sell the electricity flowing into the building to Weavers Way at a competitive rate. The array’s panels will produce more than enough to cover the needs of the building, which will permit the sale of excess electricity back to PECO. 

Weavers Way and Clean Energy Co-op share an interest in solar power and a commitment to the Seven Cooperative Principles. Each co-op is based on the values of democratic member control, member participation, and member focus on improving the environmental health of the community. 

The Clean Energy Co-op originated in 2014 through the work of dedicated members in Northeast Pennsylvania, and expanded to include a Southeast chapter in 2021. 

A virtual information session will take place on May 12 at 7 p.m. to give people  an opportunity to learn more about the Mercantile project. To learn about the Clean Energy Co-op, become a member, and register for upcoming information sessions, go to www.cleanenergy.coop or email info@cleanenergy.coop.