[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6073017,"mediaKeyId","3000652-5a41e18edad78f63516c2495ae1942da","parentId",3000652,"title","Norwalk facilities team pauses immediate solar plans after municipal-utility limits","audioSeconds",835,"startMs",132000,"endMs",967000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3000652-5a41e18edad78f63516c2495ae1942da&start=132&end=967","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3000652-5a41e18edad78f63516c2495ae1942da/thumbnail_132000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6073017/Connecticut/Norwalk-facilities-team-pauses-immediate-solar-plans-after-municipal-utility-limits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073017-84001c8ab5c0ac4be1c17d5b3fdc5c44/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443005&Signature=kzBDLB2-y1n9cLRJXERDtx2QsYiZMFopts89S7dE4CYMr3ORzM73iRvxAehkxBNEM4x0h1ILubxuRgBHmUYO8LWZkpKSiZY5Bxcdge~sV~6TXquow4CxKHMcGelgTM0B7XL-4gniKx4Dpi1TtsJIut5HxYDgx8LVighDmf6pEXypvjP-MXrme3Y7wnpJvmZ4vGffK5MPC-dSD1itZhlYyVj5JbctM~5SxI0-b8J5NI8XQYNh5M2~YGbPXrXjA7qJZDiBfeeiK6DL3SaawmJhuekh3oB84EVqK~nn5y671p7KBcgrIymZOizz-O6FZUwWchTxhsJZAweevxnTp49wEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norwalk Public Schools","date","2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","article","Alan Lowe, facilities staff for Norwalk Public Schools, told the Facilities Committee on March 26 that plans to add a large ground-mounted solar array and a third‑party power‑purchase arrangement (PPA) at the new South Norwalk School are not financially viable under the local municipal utility’s rules.

Why it matters: the committee has pursued solar across multiple district projects to reduce long‑term energy costs and emissions. Staff said South Norwalk was a priority for both rooftop and ground‑mounted systems, but utility procurement rules and expected losses would leave the city or district paying most of the cost without near‑term savings.

Lowe said the municipal utility for South Norwalk — South Norwalk Electric and Water (SNEW) — requires customers in its service territory to buy supply from SNEW rather than from a third‑party generator, which prevents the district from using a standard developer PPA model that brings federal tax credits and other incentives. Lowe told the committee, “I recommend the city not to do this project,” citing two problems: limited or no customer savings under SNEW pricing and a financial liability cap SNEW set on its side. Lowe said SNEW agreed to a maximum operating loss exposure of $25,000 a year; anything beyond that, he said, would fall to the city or board of education.

Staff provided the financial comparisons presented to the district and to the Common Council’s land‑use committee: SNEW’s wholesale purchase price is currently lower than typical Eversource territory retail rates, and typical PPA offers for comparable projects would be roughly 10–12¢ per kilowatt‑hour, versus SNEW market supply at about 6½–7¢/kWh (staff also cited an earlier internal estimate of 8.2¢/kWh). Lowe said SNEW does not offer the same level of incentive payments that a larger investor‑owned utility might (staff referenced small incentive amounts of approximately $4,000–$5,000). He also noted a federal tax‑credit assumption cited in developer models of roughly 40% when those models have been used in Eversource territory.

Because of those constraints, Lowe said the district’s land‑use and building‑management committee and SNEW representatives agreed to “cease conversation” about developing a PPA‑style project with SNEW for South Norwalk. He added that the district still designed the South Norwalk School’s roof and electrical infrastructure to accept a future solar system if a different business model or funding source becomes available.

The committee discussed possible next steps. Lowe said staff will evaluate whether leftover project funds at construction closeout or potential state reimbursement for solar as an add‑on could make a city‑funded capital install feasible later. He said a standalone capital project (rather than a PPA) could potentially capture federal tax credits and, if the state will accept solar as a reimbursable line item, up to a 60% state reimbursement for capital costs might be possible — but he emphasized those outcomes were uncertain and would require further state approval.

The committee also heard about solar planning for Norwalk High School (the new high‑school project). Lowe and Dan Jones, district construction staff, presented two options: a rooftop array and a carport (parking canopy) array. Staff estimated the rooftop option would yield more savings over a 20‑year period (staff figures presented: roughly $622,000 in savings over 20 years) while the carport option’s 20‑year saving estimate was roughly $170,000; staff emphasized the carport option would add structural cost, larger footings, sequencing complexity during demolition and site work, and potential aesthetic and sight‑line impacts.

Committee members raised safety, circulation and emergency access concerns about placing large carport structures in front of the building. Lowe and Jones said they will continue to refine financial models and construction sequencing and return to the committee in 6–9 months to recommend whether to pursue a carport in addition to the rooftop system.

The Facilities Committee did not vote on solar projects during the March 26 meeting. Lowe said the district will keep the roof and electrical design ready for a future solar install and will re‑assess feasibility if funding or utility rules change.

Ending: staff emphasized the district’s intent to preserve optionality: South Norwalk’s building was structurally and electrically designed to accept solar in the future, but immediate third‑party development in SNEW territory is paused until a viable financial model or funding path is identified.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Norwalk Public Schools FACILITIES/PLANNING COMMITTEE - March 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Alan Lowe, facilities staff for Norwalk Public Schools, told the Facilities Committee on March 26 that plans to add a large ground‑mounted solar array and a third‑party power‑purchase arrangement (PPA) at the new South Norwalk School are not financially viable under the local municipal utility’s rules.","taxTitle","Norwalk School District, School Districts, Connecticut","taxId",13003,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6073012,"Norwalk school construction moves forward; South Norwalk faces short switchgear delay, high school on multi‑year schedule",373,1949000,2322000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3000652-5a41e18edad78f63516c2495ae1942da&start=1949&end=2322","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3000652-5a41e18edad78f63516c2495ae1942da/thumbnail_1949000.jpg","/articles/6073012/Connecticut/Norwalk-school-construction-moves-forward-South-Norwalk-faces-short-switchgear-delay-high-school-on-multiyear-schedule","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073012-dd9c4b253e0baee24e56bed68304cab9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443005&Signature=n-PR0-tyJHyhif90sYoAzdqasFhpq9G3wPQLQ6T59VUv8y80-jzCbMV-Wvf9-Wl5nqY3YKadnet2CTkp2VLNe0o5qBtaeknHrVK3sSmmmWPUi~ajvra8Y1p97rmlFNReNsv8FB1nTEGG-b8zK-E82AynLgOIGRIZgJt9sDmhAxHni9N6siNZtD58NSDIGYtH4kT5PgeTOCWdpbaR2qBv006Bz7KnYPxqSu6S9RWDf3bH2-EiruDipFZSmQFH8BmqWHIndNjCo1~5r3Gujt0~ddtQQk~12NFugvgZA8r9SvysLTAKW1rVnHu25J9xQWy~7Wabvo0KK2v0NsY2xYoJ0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District construction staff and facilities leaders told the Facilities Committee on March 26 that major building work continues at South Norwalk School and at the new Norwalk High School, but a manufacturer delay for key electrical equipment creates a near‑term schedule risk for the South Norwalk project.

Why it matters: both projects are high‑value capital investments for the district. Delays or change orders can affect state reimbursement, city and district contingency budgets, and the timing for student occupancy.

Construction status and timeline updates
Dan Jones, construction staff for Norwalk Public Schools, showed photos and progress notes for each project. For South Norwalk School, staff reported that one portion of the building had rooftop units set and insulation and drywall underway; council and state approvals for demolition of adjacent Oxford properties were complete and demolition and grading were in progress. Jones said the construction team had set an internal milestone to reconfirm by April 30 whether the project remains on track for occupancy for the fall 2025 semester.

Risk: switchgear delay
Alan Lowe, facilities staff, told the committee that the project recently encountered a manufacturing delay for the building’s main switching gear (the primary electrical switchgear) and that delivery was running about two to three months late. He said staff were pursuing options — including temporary service staging and additional pressure on the supplier and distributor — but that the district may not have final confirmation on schedule risk until the end of April. Lowe described the situation candidly: “there’s a delay by the manufacturer about 2, 3 months.”

Norwalk High progress and phasing
Jones outlined work at Norwalk High School (the multi‑year project). He said metal decking and elevated slabs were in progress across multiple zones, cranes have been moved to successive planned locations, and slab‑on‑grade pours and underground conduit work were ongoing. Staff stated that the first section of the new high school is scheduled to open for students in fall 2027 and the entire project — including demolition of the existing building and site development (parking and athletic field) — is scheduled for completion in fall 2028.

Budget and reimbursement notes
Staff reiterated that many contracts still require later bidding (demolition, furniture and fixtures) and that the project anticipates typical contingency and partial additional requests for state reimbursement. Lowe and Jones said South Norwalk and the new high school receive higher percentages of state reimbursement for eligible categories (staff reported 80% reimbursement for one category and noted the district is now using a revised 60% city reimbursement rate for another category on recent projects), and that staff would request contingency funding as needed in future council actions.

Other operational updates
The committee also heard a brief overview of HVAC upgrades across a group of elementary and middle schools. Work at Brookside has an executed contract and rooftop units on order; a group of other schools (Rowayton, McMahon/Bridland, Naramake, Marvin, Silvermine, Newfield) were moving toward contractor bids in April with planned construction starts in June. Staff warned that some mechanical upgrades will require phased work across multiple summers and second‑shift work during school terms in order to complete large‑scope mechanical replacements.

Ending: staff asked for patience and said they will provide a follow‑up to the Facilities Committee by April 30 with updated confirmation on the South Norwalk schedule while continuing to manage procurement, contractor sequencing and state reimbursement requests.","District staff reported active construction at South Norwalk and Norwalk High, described a supplier delay for a major electrical switchgear that could affect South Norwalk’s completion date, and reviewed Norwalk High phased schedule with first opening targeted for fall 2027 and full site completion in fall 2028.","actionData","errors"]

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Norwalk facilities team pauses immediate solar plans after municipal-utility limits

Norwalk school construction moves forward; South Norwalk faces short switchgear delay, high school on multi‑year schedule