Holliston Could House Large Solar Farm
A Cambridge-based renewable energy company has proposed a 2.5-megawatt solar project at a Holliston farm that could add 8,000 to 10,000 solar panels in that town.
Renewable Energy Massachusetts LLC (REM) is in the process of securing approval to install the solar panels on an 11-acre field at the Bullard Memorial Farm in Holliston.
Officials with REM have an agreement with the Bullard Farm to lease the land the installation would be placed on for 25 years, and are negotiating to sell the power created from the system to NStar.
The project still needs approval from local officials, including the Conservation Commission and Planning Board.
Blue Skies For Green Energy
The project is one of a growing number of solar panel installations in Massachusetts. The state has about 59 megawatts of solar electricity production online, with plans to install 36 megawatts of additional capacity. That's up from 3.5 megawatts of installed solar capacity in 2007.
The increase in solar activity is in part fueled by the state's 2008 Green Communities Act, which calls for 250 megawatts of solar electricity in the state by 2017. To encourage that, utilities are required to purchase a certain amount of the energy used from renewable sources, including solar.
REM was founded in 2008 to take advantage of that increased demand. The company has five projects in the state that are in various stages of development, according to Robert M. Knowles, one of REM's founders.
The company gets its funding for the projects from Syncarpha Capital in New York, which Knowles said has 20 megawatts of solar capacity already installed across North America with a goal of installing 250 megawatts in five East Coast states and Canada.
Win-Win Agreement
As for the Holliston project, Knowles said REM officials were looking for a spot to install a solar project in MetroWest and found Bullard Farm. He said the agreement is mutually beneficial: REM will be able to install the system, which will provide Bullard Farm with "a stable source of income to help keep the farm's nonprofit mission self-sustainable."
After the 25-year agreement, Knowles said, farm officials could decide to revert the land back to agricultural use.
The proposal still must be approved by the Holliston Conservation Commission and Planning Board before construction can begin.
The Holliston project is the second major solar farm proposed in MetroWest in recent weeks.
Boston developer Cathartes Private Investment and North Andover solar developer Nexamp plan to install a $23-million, 4.5-megawatt solar panel field on 22 acres of industrial land by Route 3 in Westford.
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