Some people consider solar panels to be an ugly eyesore on buildings. Even more so on historic sites. Many towns, in an effort to keep the building as true to its old form as possible, have laws restricting the use of solar panels on historical buildings. To some people the past and the future simply cannot exist together. It is surprising and wonderful then that the members of the Race Point Committee have decided to embrace solar power to improve the historic Race Point Lighthouse.

In 1808 residents of the tiny community of Provincetown, Massachusetts decided that they needed a lighthouse on Race Point. Ships would run ashore, and fishermen would get lost in bad weather. Hence was born the idea for the Race Point Lighthouse. The light was first lighted on November 5, 1816. It was powered by whale oil and kerosene, and for a long time that is how things remained. The light was rebuilt a couple of times, a foghorn was added (steam powered), and the keeper’s house was updated a couple of times. Then in 1957 the light was converted to use electricity. This was a big change for the Point.

Electricity came to the Point via a long series of telephone poles that had to be erected over miles of hard to travel terrain and areas where the tide almost made the point into an island. While these poles did little to harm the natural environment, they did interrupt the natural views surrounding the lighthouse. It wasn’t until 1972 that the light was finally automated. It was at this time that the keeper’s house was all but abandoned. For many years the only visitors to Race Point were maintenance crews there to change bulbs and repair storm damage. Then things started to change.

In 1994 the fog beacon and the light itself became solar powered. This was accomplished by a small series of solar panels that were actually attached to the side of the lighthouse itself. These panels charged batteries that have enough power to keep the light burning bright for days, even in the worst stormy conditions. It was a good system, but it could have been improved. The keeper’s house still lay boarded up, and there was no way to power the house cleanly.

The Race Point Committee voted to bring clean power to the lighthouse in 2002. Until 2003 the keeper’s house used an old diesel generator for power. The generator was used as little as possible due to the high cost of fuel and the noise and smoke that the generator produced. Thanks to the massive fundraising efforts of one man, Don Root, a member of the Race Point Committee, the solar array was installed the very next year. With the help of green energy contractor Tom Wineman and a small group of volunteers the solar panels were installed behind the lighthouse. The installation was fairly simple. Long anchor bolts were drilled into the ground, and a structure that pointed solar south was installed. This structure holds the solar array and at the same time, using an ingenious tent-like structure, protects the array from wind damage. Don Root said, “Even the birds seem to ignore it. It’s wonderful.”

The solar array provides all of the power for the lighthouse and the keeper’s house, and soon it will be powering a small garage structure near the home. All of this frees up the surrounding landscape from ugly telephone poles. The array charges a battery bank that has enough power to run the complex for several days, even in total cloud cover. But most importantly, the modern technology of solar panels fits perfectly with historic Race Point.

For a site that’s almost 200 years old to be fitted with solar technology is a great step forward in preserving our heritage by using the technology of today. Solar power helps Race Point be more like it was in the old days. There are now no telephone poles or wires marring the landscape. An added benefit to the solar array is that now visitors can come and stay in the keeper’s house and enjoy this historic site. The fees from the visitors help to maintain the light and keeper’s house, ensuring that the lighthouse will be visited and enjoyed by generations to come.