Natick Officials Get Lesson In Solar Panel Planning
The town of Natick is on the cusp of inking an agreement with Framingham energy management company Amerseco Inc. to install a 448-panel solar project atop the roof of the Kennedy Middle School.
Officials hope it is the first in a long line of solar projects that could be installed in the community.
But while town conservation agent Bob Bois and other officials have planned, reviewed and approved hundreds of development projects over the years, planning the first publicly owned solar power installation in the town's history has been a whole new ballgame.
And the lessons these officials are learning could serve as an example of what other municipalities and businesses should know about planning a green project for the first time.
"At some times it can feel like you're reinventing the wheel," said Bois, who has been spearheading the town's efforts to install the solar project. "But with a will to do it and the technical expertise to help you, it can be done. It's been done before."
Learning Experience
Natick is one of the state's 35 green communities designated by the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The town met five criteria to receive the "green" status, which has allowed it to collect grant money from the state for energy efficiency projects. But, the designation doesn't mean town officials are experts in how to install solar panels on the roof of a municipal building.
"We're good at paving roads and providing services, not installing solar panels," said Bois, who has worked as the town conservation agent since 2002 after a career with the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Bois said the green community designation provided the necessary motivation for officials to pursue the project, but actually executing the details was a little more difficult.
A big help came in the form of a $25,000 grant from the state to hire The Cadmus Group, a Watertown-based consulting firm, to help plan the project. Bois said he could not have done the project without the consultant's help.
While Bois said he was familiar with negotiating service contracts for projects, the solar panel installation required a power purchase agreement, which has its own set of legal jargon and details.
"It's basically a foreign language," he said.
The power purchase agreement calls for the town to lease out the roof of the school to Ameresco, which will construct and own the solar panels and sell power back to the town.
"It's a little more complicated than just hiring someone to install an elevator," said Robert Graham, director of facilities for the Natick Public Schools, who worked with Bois on the project.
The Cadmus Group helped Bois and Graham put together the RFP, which yielded four responses, including one from Ameresco. The Framingham-based company offered the most competitive pricing for the town to purchase the energy that is produced from the solar panels, Graham said.
Bois is hoping a contract with the company will be finalized in the coming weeks and construction will begin this spring. The contract with Ameresco must still be approved by the school committee and board of selectmen.
Bois said he's hoping that since he and Graham have gone through this process once, the next projects will be that much easier.
While the Kennedy Middle School project could produce up to about 100 kilowatts of electricity, there is still potential for the town to install more than 4,000 kilowatts total with solar panels across all municipally owned buildings in town.
"This is really just the tip of the iceberg," Bois said.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments