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Bedford Energy Commission: Chabock Road solar array largely installed; some panels delayed, bond questions raised
Summary
The Energy Commission received a construction update on the Chabock Road landfill solar array: most panels are installed, commissioning depends on Eversource testing, and commissioners asked town staff to produce meter-by-meter kilowatt-hour data to assess savings; a resident later questioned bond figures and a paused compactor item.
The Bedford Energy Commission heard an update on construction of the Chabock Road landfill solar array on Oct. 23 and was shown photos of panels already in place, while commissioners discussed remaining technical, financial and operational steps before the system begins producing electricity.
Jean Walker, assistant town manager, told the commission that crews have “placed numerous panels” and that site photos taken that day show most racks in place. She said supply-chain issues mean a small number of panels remain to be delivered — she corrected an earlier figure and said 264 of the project’s panels were still outstanding — but the contractor is planning contingency work so commissioning is not delayed. Walker gave the project’s designed direct-current capacity as about 935 kilowatts and cited a design annual production of roughly 1.134 gigawatt-hours.
Commissioners pressed staff on monitoring, warranties and maintenance. Walker said the contractor provides a five-year workmanship warranty and the panels carry a 25-year manufacturer warranty; she added the contractor expects panels may continue producing beyond the warranty window but that degradation is normal. “We have a five year warranty on all workmanship, and…the warranty themselves on the panels is 25 years,” Walker said.
The commission discussed next steps for interconnection. Walker said the building department will issue a certificate of completion after construction, then Eversource will perform field testing and commissioning visits that typically take about eight weeks; she emphasized the utility’s attention will focus on transformers and interconnection equipment rather than the panels themselves. The commission scheduled an Eversource presentation for Nov. 20 to brief the public on bills and programs.
Members asked the town to gather metering data for the town’s 53 meters to measure how much electricity the town consumes and how much the solar system can offset. The chair said kilowatt-hour trends over 12–24 months (rather than dollars) will provide a clearer picture of theoretical savings; Walker agreed to post project documents online and to compile meter-usage data for a future meeting.
During a later public comment period resident Ken Russo said he had read a newspaper account that listed the project at $4.4 million and asked why the bond sale produced roughly $3.19 million. Commissioners explained voters authorized up to $4.4 million via warrant articles that combined the solar array and a compactor component; the town ultimately issued approximately $3.2 million in bonds (the actual financed amount was about $2.89 million with premiums covering the remainder). Commissioners also confirmed the compactor component is currently on hold and was not bonded.
The commission did not take formal action on the solar project on Oct. 23. Members asked staff to return with detailed usage data and annual reports to allow the commission and town council to quantify actual savings once the array is producing.
