At its April 21 meeting, the Select Board voted unanimously to authorize a letter of intent to Solect Energy of Hopkinton to install photovoltaic panels on the roof of the new Hildreth Elementary School. David Fay, a member of both the School Building Committee and the Harvard Energy Advisory Committee (HEAC), presented the plan to the board.
Under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Harvard, Solect would build, own, and maintain the solar array at its own expense. The school would get about 70% of its electricity from the panels at a guaranteed price of 11 cents per kilowatt hour for the next 20 years. That rate is about 24% below the current market price. The rest of the electricity that the school needs would be purchased from National Grid at market rate. Given the expected increases in the cost of electricity, Fay estimated the town would save about $353,000 over the lifetime of the contract.
The new school has been designed from the beginning to be “solar ready,” but the plan has always been to add the solar panels in a separate phase after construction. For Harvard to buy and install its own panels would cost an estimated $860,000, Fay said. By contrast, the agreement with Solect costs the town only $550, the fee to join a nonprofit group called PowerOptions, which sets the contract terms with Solect.
Solect has done similar installations for many public schools, colleges, and businesses in New England. Both HEAC and the School Committee recommended this plan to the Select Board. According to Town Administrator Tim Bragan, the plan still requires approval of a town meeting, as the proposal essentially calls for leasing town property (the school roof) to Solect.
At the end of the 20-year contract, the town has the option to buy the panels from Solect. If Harvard chooses not to do so, Solect will pay to remove the panels.
