Town to Explore Solar Panels for Electricity
The town manager will explore a contract with Syncarpha's solar power facility in Bolton.
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Selectmen last night agreed to allow the town to enter into a contract to purchase electricity generated by solar panels at a facility in Bolton. The town is expected to save $132,000 by buying the discounted electricity.
Cliff Chapman of Syncarpha said the the solar power facility will be built on leased land in Bolton. The electricity generated will tie into the grid, Chapman said, and Syncarpha is looking to sell the electricity to the town of Chelmsford at a 25% discount through a power-purchase agreement.
"You'll get an offset on your bill," said Chapman. " ... It's a deal I'd do all day long."
The town will have to enter into a long-term contract with Syncarpha, Champman said, in order to receive the power.
Town Manager Paul Cohen said he projects $132,000 in savings for the town in the first year, and about $2.5 million over 20 years. Cohen said Town Counsel is reviewing the contract on behalf of the town.
"The ($2.5 million) is a projection because it depends on what happens in electricity market," he said. Cohen said the town is a huge consumer of electricity, as opposed to the town of Bolton, which is not purchasing electricity from Syncarpha.
"Bolton doesn't have that electricity consumption," he said. "They're a community of 5,000. They don't use a fraction of what (Chelmsford) uses."
Chapman said he hopes construction of the facility will begin at the end of the year at the Bolton orchards gravel pit site. Construction could take three to five months, he said, though all local permits have already been approved.
Cohen said he hopes the deal will be finalized by the end of the month. Selectmen agreed to allow the town manager to enter into the contract on behalf of the town, pending Town Counsel's review.
Joan Kopp
8:09 am on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
What about Chelmsford doing the same thing as Bolton did and developing it's own Solar facility allowing property owners to generate their own solar energy with subsidies of course and then sell any excess back to the town. This is done in many other communities in many other countries including Canada and has worked extremely well, My son (who lives in Calgary Alberta), with additional property just north of Toronto, Ontario is considering using ground based solar and generating enough to make it worth the interest of the Ontario Provincial Government to subsidize the original investment and buy back the energy generated.
Why are we just hearing about this now. There has been so much progress in this field and it seems like it has been done in isolation. I could be wrong and perhaps I've missed the public discussion on this but it is part of the "wave" of alternative energies.
I would be interested in other's comments.
Thank you
Tony
11:02 am on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Go to this website (http://www.wickedlocal.com/chelmsford/news/x597435339/Town-Meeting-turns-down-solar-array#axzz1vbs0hYtY) and you'll get the full story about how Chelmsford turned down a solar array to be located at what was the old town dump during last year's town meeting. Chelmsford could have been a leader in solar power generation in this area, as Westford has done, but town reps. voted to kill it. However, it should be mentioned that there is a large solar array on Crooked Springs Rd. currently producing power for water facilities in that area of town so the whole issue of solar energy is not something we're just hearing about or has been totally ignored by the town. In fact, this year's town meeting addressed the issue of solar energy vs. zoning restrictions.
Sue Carter
12:09 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Town Meeting turned down the solar array at the landfill because there were a lot of questions concerning abutting properties. This spring, the town meeting approved a solar by-law that creates setbacks and requires site plan approval and abutter notifications. The solar array at the landfill site is on indefinite hold due to the cost of bringing 3 phase electric lines to the site and not because of the initial town meeting vote.
Joan Kopp
12:17 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Thank you Tony, I will investigate
Joan
Tony
9:18 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Joan: Glad to provide info.
Sue Carter: A majority of Town Reps. voted it down at town meeting. You can't deny the fact that the article requested permission to lease the property for 20 years instead of the maximum five allowed by town bylaw, and to change its use from a landfill to combination solar facility and landfill and the reps. said no. I didn't see anything in the warrant about 3-phase power line costs. And I wouldn't bet on any indefinite holds either, for that matter. If there's anything that should be done with the Swain Road dump this is one project that's a no brainer and I hope that it regains traction. Go see Westford's new array or the array in North Chelmsford. This is clean energy that will pay for itself in the long run. There were many questions asked at town meeting and not just the power line cost that should have been addressed by studying the issue of rezoning the landfill to the proposed alternate use before including it in the town warrant. How many reps. really did their homework before voting? I'd venture to guess a few, if any at all. Most of the discussions sounded like what if's rather then informed observation or study of why it shouldn't done.
Sue Carter
9:43 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tony- you are reading more into my comments than intended. The first vote failed, the PB initiated a solar by-law for future solar farms. I should have said that the Town Manager told the Oak Hill Study Committee that the solar farm is on hold because of the cost of the 3 phase power (I beleive he did mention that at town meeting).
I try to provide information with my postings that I have knowledge of from being active in the town for over 20 years. Tony you seem to have an issue with every response - I have no idea who you are or why you have an issue with me or the Planning Board.
Unfortunately that makes me not want to provide any finformation or comments in the future. Too bad, the Patch has been a wonderful forum for local discussions.
Tony
11:25 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Sue: I don't have issues with you. If you can't state the facts accurately then you leave yourselve open for further questions. Why do you bring up the Planning Board? I don't have any issues with the board. See what I mean?
Sue Carter
1:12 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tony- I don't know if you are a TM rep, but sentiment at my table was that there were too many issues raised by the abutters. This might not have been evident if you were watching it from home. I made the comment because of your previous responses regarding the scenic road by-law. (I was surprised you didn't speak at town meeting since you had such strong opinions).
Tony
2:31 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Sue: Why do you bring scenic roads into this discussion? What do they have to do with solar energy?
Debbie Levine
11:03 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
There are solar panels at the McCarthy Middle that a teacher won at no cost to the tax payers or the school, they have been up for a few years now but aren't being used- anyone know why?