Solar Photovoltaic Panels

The system on the old landfill went live on April 14, 2016 and in fiscal year 2019 brought in $450,000 in solar credits, which is used to offset municipal electricity bills.

The rooftop installation at the Public Work building went live over the summer of 2017 and in fiscal 2019 gained an additional $15,000 in solar credits annually.

In 2020, a 300kW solar array was installed on the roof of the Field School, which will provide 100% renewable solar electricity to the school. It should provide roughly 3/4 of the school’s electricity on an annual basis, offsetting 4,800 tons of CO2 during the project life of 20 years, at a savings to the Town of about $20,000 in the first year alone.

solar

Net Metering (Solar) Credits & Additional Savings

As part of the power purchase agreement, the Town receives 1 net metering credit for each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by the solar array and received by Eversource over the course of the 20-year lease. These credits are applied to the electric bill received by the Town, thereby reducing how much money is spent on electricity used by the municipality and saving tax dollars.

Education

Ameresco established a live-monitoring site, so residents interested in seeking the amount of energy produced over a time period can track it, as well as the environmental impact equivalents. To visit the site, please follow this link.

 

Clouds & Wind vs. No Clouds

Check out the two photos below. The one on the left demonstrates the solar energy collected during peak sun. The one on the right demonstrates collection when there are clouds and wind.

Church St. array - no clouds

Church St Array - No Clouds Creating Shadows

Church St array - cloudy & windy day

Church St Array - Cloudy Day With Wind