Sunny days could be ahead for New Scotland if energy savings from a photovoltaic system are as much as an area company forecasts. The system would also provide more reliable energy costs.
Lindsey McEntire of Monolith Solar Associates laid out a proposal to install photovoltaic panels across three town-owned properties for a 134,100-watt system, which would cover approximately 60 percent of the town’s energy needs. Monolith estimated the system would result in an accumulated savings of around $93,000 over 20 years. Savings are projected to increase each year, with a locked utility increasing 1.75 percent annually.
New Scotland would enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Monolith, the same type of plan Guilderland is also weighing, which would have the company providing solar energy, maintaining the system and paying upfront costs for installation. The company would then sell electricity produced on sites to the town at a discounted rate.
“We all know that electricity rates are going up. This winter, we’ve seen them go up in some cases around 300 percent,” McEntire said. “What we are allowing you to do is lock in to an electric rate for solar power for 20 years.”
The town’s current annual usage is 262,963 kWh, and the proposed system would generate 158,175 kWh annually. The proposal had two 39.6 kW systems ground-mounted, with one at the town landfill at Upper Flat Rock Road and the other behind the Winnie Lane pump house. The third would be a 54.9 kW system on top of the town’s garage.
The first year, the town is estimated to save almost $2,700, but the savings would increase annually over time.
“Each year, your savings are going to keep increasing because the price of electricity you are purchasing from the grid is going up,” McEntire said. “As the grid goes up, your savings with Monolith are substantial.”
An example is in the final year of the contract, electricity costs are estimated to be around $37,500 without solar panels installed, but the cost through the agreement would be approximately $7,000 less.
“You’re hedging yourself against that increase,” McEntire said.
Board member William Hennessy questioned why a more robust system could not be built at the landfill, but McEntire said the transformer size at the landfill limits how much can be produced.
“It can’t actually handle the load capacity that would be pumped back out into the grid,” McEntire said. “It would explode.”
Hennessy said the town is considering replacing the transformer alongside a proposal to build cell tower.
Town Supervisor Tom Dolin said there also was discussion to place the entire system along Route 32 near the well field.
The town also does not have many good southern-facing roofs on its buildings, which McEntire said is the ideal direction. Less than an acre of space would be needed to place all the panels at one location.
Dolin said that moving forward, the town has to decide where panels would be placed and how much replacing the transformer would cost.
Rebates from New York State Energy Research Development Authority for installing solar are continually declining; the longer the town waits, the less money Monolith would get back. How much the company pays to install the system would affect what the town is charged for energy.
Dolin said Code Enforcement Officer Jeffry Pine approached him about installing a solar system for the town. Dolin said he met with various individuals who have installed systems.