Charlemont, MA – With its new 500-kilowatt sun-tracking solar farm complementing an existing 900-kilowatt wind turbine installed in 2010, Berkshire East in western Massachusetts has become the first ski resort in the world to be powered entirely by renewable energy generated on-site.

Energy is a ski resort’s second biggest cost after labor. Although one could easily attribute Berkshire East’s efforts to environmental altruism, the truth of the matter is that the combined wind and solar installation will allow the resort to hedge against future increases in energy costs.

“We view on-site renewable as a hedge against the rising price of power,” said Jon Schaefer, 32, general manager at Berkshire East.  “Energy is our largest non-labor expense and it’s the one thing we are most dependent on beyond the snow.”

Vermont-based AllEarth Renewables completed its installation of 90 tracking solar panels at Berkshire East on April 24. The panels use GPS and wireless technology to automatically follow the sun throughout the day to boost energy production by up to 45 percent more than rooftop installations. AllEarth Renewables retains ownership of the solar farm and has a long-term agreement to sell power from the facility to the ski resort.

“Berkshire East Ski Area is a prime example of how distributed energy projects like wind and solar can help small, family owned businesses thrive,” said Kevin Schulte, CEO of Sustainable Energy Development Inc., the Ontario, N.Y. developer of the project at Berkshire East.