The Watermill Center, founded in 1992 by experimental artist Robert Wilson, is an interdisciplinary laboratory for the arts and humanities situated on Long Island’s East End. The ten-acre campus features wooded paths, landscaped vistas, cultural artifacts, and art installations. Each year, the Watermill Center hosts over fifty international and local artists through its multidisciplinary Artist Residency Program, which emphasizes process and experimentation, while the Watermill Center Collection houses over 8,000 pieces ranging from antiquity to contemporary artworks. The Watermill Center Library, with its extensive print collection and the Robert Wilson Archives, serves as a vital resource for Artists-in-Residence and the creative community. The center’s year-round public programs include open studio nights, a public conversation series, creative masterclasses, and educational workshops that engage students of all abilities.

This project supports Phase 1 (2024–25) of the center’s Energy Efficiency Upgrade Plan. Developed with Board member and leading architect and green building expert, Enric Ruiz Geli, The Watermill Center Energy Efficiency Upgrade Plan sets out a roadmap for achieving a Net Zero carbon footprint and LEED Platinum certification by 2027. The project implements the most urgent energy-related improvements to The Watermill Center’s main building, enabling critical energy-related improvements, including an LED lighting retrofit and the installation of a 26,880-watt solar photovoltaic system. This project, guided by Watermill’s Energy Efficiency Upgrade Plan and a baseline energy assessment, aims to replace 673 non-LED lights with energy-efficient LEDs and mount 64 SunPower U-Series 420W solar panels on the main building's south wing. These upgrades will significantly reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and offset geothermal water pump costs through net power buyback. The initiative is the first step toward achieving a Net Zero carbon footprint and LEED Platinum certification by 2027, aligning with the center's commitment to environmental and financial sustainability.