City Flips the Switch on Water Dept. Solar Array
By Robin Vinci | Editor at August 6, 2024 | 6:15 pm | Print
A new 780 kilowatt solar array at the Shuttle Meadow Reservoir water filtration plant, that will save the City $2.2 million over the next 20 years, was turned on Tuesday.
“I’m excited to mark the opening of this massive solar array, which is one of the largest municipal projects in Connecticut,” said Mayor Erin E. Stewart. “This will provide significant savings for taxpayers and help put New Britain on the forefront of communities that have embraced alternative energy sources.”
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the site Tuesday morning.
City officials, along with representatives from SolarCity including Patrick Corr, SolarCity director of East Coast Project Development and Katie Dykes, deputy commissioner for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection attended the event.
“This is a very exciting achievement for the City of New Britain as we are bringing online one of the largest municipal solar array projects in the State of Connecticut,” Mayor Stewart told the crowd. “The solar panels are also at Smith Elementary School, Smalley Elementary School and DiLoreto Magnet School. For the City and the taxpayers it is significant saving. We are not stopping here. We plan to add solar panels to Slade and Pulaski Middle Schools to reduce the City’s carbon footprint and bringing additional saving to our residents. These solar systems will also become part of an educational component for our student which I thought was most important. We will be able to monitor how much energy is being produced.”
Stewart added that, “being green is no longer a trend. Solar arrays like this provide clean, cheap and viable energy and make a significant impact on bettering our environment.”
The solar array in New Britain has offset the equivalent of more than 4,800 cars being on the road.
“We are generating electricity right here in New Britain to save rate payers money,” said Dykes. “It is helping us keep on track to meet our renewable target goal.”
The State has set a goal of 27 percent clean energy by 2020.
“I’m so very excited to see New Britain leading by example and taking advantage of the programs we put forward,” said Dykes. “It’s saving taxpayers money and reducing the carbon pollution for our families and children. It makes great sense for schools and budgets.”
“From the outset SolarCity has been a very valuable partner in this project,” added Mayor Stewart. “I want to thank them for their expertise and professionalism through and through.”
“We are so excited for the opportunity to be a partner with the City of New Britain,” said Corr. “It is a great economic story. At Solarcity our mission is to procure energy by providing a clean affordable program. Connecticut has been a fantastic solar state. We have over 28 megawatts of solar projects in Connecticut alone. SolarCity owns and maintains the panels. The City of New Britain just pays a lower rate for electricity.”
The project, as a whole, will total 1.6 megawatts of solar generation capacity, enough to produce at least 2.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity for the city each year. Estimates from SolarCity anticipate that the systems will offset carbon emissions by 49.7 million pounds. That’s the equivalent of reducing the carbon emissions of 4,797 cars over 20 years or enough electricity to power the equivalent of 195 homes each year.
Through a SolarCity Power Purchase Agreement, the City avoided paying any money upfront for the solar systems by agreeing to purchase solar power created by the panels at a price lower than power generated by a utility company. According to a SolarCity sales engineer, the city is projected to save around $2.2 million over the next 20 years. This number was determined by factoring the city’s current electric usage, the SolarCity Power Purchase Agreement, and the average utility rate increase.
“This is a project that future generations of New Britain will certainly be proud of,” concluded Mayor Stewart. “We hope that current residents take advantage and make changes in their homes.”
For more information on getting solar panels at no cost from SolarCity on your home, call 860-357-1091.
