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Somerset approves $57,600 pool‑house solar project using ARPA funds
Summary
Council approved a Celestial Solar plan to install rooftop panels at the town pool house for $57,600, obligating ARPA funds; staff project first‑year utility savings of about $2,655 and added revenue from selling renewable-energy credits (SREs).
Somerset's town council approved a Celestial Solar Innovations proposal to install a rooftop photovoltaic system on the pool‑house roof and to obligate $57,600 of unobligated ARPA funds toward the project.
EJ, the town manager for this agenda item, outlined the proposal: 40 REC Alpha RX460 panels sited on the best-exposed roof section, a winter discount bringing the town cost to $57,600 (the project had been budgeted at $70,000), an estimated first‑year utility savings of $2,655.21 and average monthly savings of about $563.67 when revenue from selling solar renewable energy credits (SREs) is included. EJ recommended approval and noted that the town previously installed a system on town hall and that committees had reviewed the project.
Jim Riley, founder of Celestial Solar (on Zoom), explained SREs and how market differences (the DC marketplace versus Maryland) affect revenue. He said the system is expected to generate roughly 18 SREs per year and described brokered sales arrangements that can lock prices or monetize credits through an aggregator. "There's one SRE for every 1,000 kilowatt-hours of production," Riley said, and he explained why SRE revenue was included in the monthly‑savings figure presented to council.
Council members asked about return on investment and whether the town should consider battery storage. Amsalu Della beti, a resident, suggested battery storage could aid resilience during outages; Riley said batteries were not part of the current proposal and remain comparatively expensive for this application.
EJ noted municipalities may be eligible for an IRS tax credit (about 30%) and reminded council the project comes in under the $70,000 budgeted amount. After discussion, council moved, seconded and approved the Celestial Solar installation and allocation of ARPA funds; the transcript records the approval as a voice vote without a roll-call tally.
Next steps: staff will finalize the contract with Celestial Solar, confirm any rebate/IRS credit process, and coordinate with pool operations on timing and installation logistics.
