St. Petersburg firm installs large solar-energy array at resort

Legacy Vacation Resorts, a certified B Corp based in St. Petersburg, has completed an ambitious solar-energy project at one of its properties in Indian Shores, a beachside community in western Pinellas County.

The solar array, according to a news release, will produce about 78% of the electricity that the resort consumes in a typical year. Generating 355,817 kilowatt hours annually, the output could power more than 28 U.S. homes for an entire year. 

B Corporations, also known Public Benefit Corporations, are “businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose,” according to B Lab, a global network of B Corporations.

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The Legacy Vacation Resorts Indian Shores array, the release states, consists of 466 rooftop solar panels on two buildings, totaling 193.3 kilowatts. The project was completed by Orlando-based Optimus Energy Solutions, a fellow values-aligned business on its way to B Corp Certification, and financed by Pending B Corp Climate First Bank, headquartered in St. Petersburg.

“The integration of renewable energy is just another step on the way towards our goal of creating a more sustainable and regenerative travel ecosystem,” Legacy Vacation Resorts COO Alex Smith states in the release. “We are proud to not only introduce this technology to reduce our carbon impact on the planet, but also to help travelers plan a vacation that aligns with their own values. By sourcing solar energy to power our resort, we are providing them with an option that is both regenerative and restorative to the local community and beautiful intracoastal setting we find ourselves in.”

Legacy Vacation Resorts Founder and Chairman Jared Meyers also owns Salt Palm Development, another local B Corp; it has developed several eco-friendly multifamily residential properties in St. Pete.