Town looks to the sun

#MiddleburyCT #Solar #Photovoltaic #CleanEnergy

The parking lot at Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) headquarters is shown as it would look with canopies of photovoltaic panels over the parking spaces. It is one of three proposed canopy installations. The project also includes ground- and roof-mounted installations. (Michaud Law Group photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

The town may well turn to photovoltaic panels to ease the burden of its more than $200,000 annual electric bill. Michaud Law Group (MLG) and NV5 presented a plan to do just that at the November 7 Board of Selectmen meeting, and the Board unanimously approved their moving forward. With Eversource announcing on November 17 that it is applying for a January 1, 2023, increase of its Standard Service Rate to 24.2 cents per kWh from its current 12.1 cents per kWh, moving forward with a solar project may be the wise thing to do.

Paul Michaud of MLG is an attorney who specializes in the solar energy development business. His firm is based in Middletown, Connecticut. He works with NV5 Clean Energy Group (formerly Celtic Energy) from Glastonbury, Connecticut, experts on energy project quality assurance, and the various facets of installing and monitoring solar projects. Engineer Aldo Mazzaferro represented NV5 at the presentation.

At the November 7 meeting, First Selectman Edward B. St. John explained that, a year and a half ago, he had tasked Zoning Enforcement Officer Curtis Bosco with looking into and coordinating installation of solar panels on the roof of the Public Works Building addition. St. John said, “We’ve been 10 years trying to get something going with solar and nothing has materialized.”

This time, Bosco worked with MLG and NV5 as they visited sites to assess solar opportunities, conducted a baseline energy analysis based on historical utility bills, developed solar photovoltaic models for key sites and estimated potential savings. The November 7 presentation summed up their findings.

Initial findings were that 75% of the town’s annual electricity is used by four town departments: Water Pollution Control Authority pumping stations at 36%, the police and fire departments at 18%, the public library at 12%, and the public works department at 9%.

Placing solar panels at six locations around town would, they said, produce more than four times the town’s annual energy consumption, allowing the town many options to offset 100% of its electricity consumption with clean energy and even create a revenue stream for the town.

The six locations proposed for solar panels are Long Meadow Road, Middlebury Road, Meadowview Park, fire department headquarters, public works and the police station. The two largest producers would be ground installations on Long Meadow and Middlebury Roads. Canopy and roof installations at the other locations would generate smaller amounts of clean energy.

Canopies over parking spaces are proposed at Meadowview Park, MVFD headquarters and police headquarters. The sole roof installation would be on the Public Works building.

MLG offered as an example of a successful installation they shepherded to completion the one in the town of Stafford Springs. Seven years ago, that town installed solar panels at its middle school and its town landfill. MLG said that project is expected to produce overall savings of more than $24 million over 25 years.

The timeline proposed for the Middlebury project has MLG releasing the request for purchase (RFP) to the clean energy development industry December 1, 2022. Site visits by potential respondents would follow, and bid proposals would be due February 13, 2023. The top prospects would then be interviewed, and a contractor selected at the end of February.

In March 2023, MLG would present a bid overview to the selectmen, who would vote on the proposal in April 2023 and approve the definitive agreements in May 2023.

Michaud said his firm’s subspecialty is municipal RFPs. He said, “We match needs to the right program” and added there is no charge to the municipality for the firm’s services. He said they would work through the town attorney to be sure everything is done properly.

After listening to the proposal and the responses to questions from selectmen, St. John said, “I really don’t see the town has anything to lose at all … I think we need to do this, and I recommend to the Board that we proceed.” He added it seemed to him it was the first time the town has had a real proposal for a solar project. “I don’t think we should dilly-dally here,” he said.