“This was about building a business that reflects the kind of future we want to be part of,” said owner David Bass-Clark. “Ice cream is surprisingly energy intensive. We make more than 8,000 gallons and serve over 100,000 scoops every year. If a small neighborhood shop like ours can make this work, hopefully it shows other small businesses that sustainability can be practical, not just aspirational.”

The project was made possible in part through support from Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), the Brunswick-based nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that has financed solar installations for more than 81 Maine businesses, farms, and community facilities.

“More and more Maine businesses are seeing solar as a viable way to reduce operating costs by producing some or all of their own power,” said Jesse McKinnell, Senior Vice President of Specialty Finance at CEI. “Financing solar replaces the unpredictability of utility bills with a fixed payment, and once the system is paid off, the panels still have decades of productive life ahead.”

The solar installation is part of a broader environmental commitment at Willard Scoops. Over the past year, the shop has transitioned its cups, spoons, and other consumables to compostable materials, helping divert an estimated 15,000 pounds of waste annually through its partnership with Garbage to Garden.

Together, those efforts create what Willard Scoops calls its “Sun to Scoop” model: locally made ice cream powered by renewable energy and paired with waste-conscious operations.

“As far as we know, we’re the first in Maine,” Bass-Clark added. “And if we’re wrong, we’d love to meet whoever beat us to it.”

Located in South Portland’s Willard Square, Willard Scoops is known for its small-batch, high-butterfat ice cream made on-site and its commitment to sustainability, local ingredients, and community.