Talva Energy tells Montgomery committee solar could offset majority of municipal building use; committee seeks more analysis

Talva Energy presented its feasibility study for solar installations at Montgomery Township properties, telling the township committee a combination of roof, carport and ground arrays could significantly reduce municipal electricity costs and produce attractive long‑term savings.

Adam, a Talva Energy representative, walked the committee through site assessments for the municipal offices, the Skillman Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Oxbridge Pump Station, and described three implementation pathways: rooftop arrays, carport arrays and ground arrays. He summarized estimated system sizes and outputs — for example, a 610 kW DC carport system that Talva modeled would produce about 773,000 kilowatt‑hours a year and “offset just about 80% of your load” for the municipal building, while combined projects across sites could offset roughly 60% of the township buildings’ electricity use.

Why it matters: the presentation compared ownership and power purchase agreement (PPA) models and examined incentives that affect municipal projects, including SRECs (solar renewable energy certificates) and a federal tax credit now payable as a direct payment to public entities. Adam presented an ownership example with an estimated out‑of‑pocket cost of $1.8 million for a carport system and a roughly seven‑year payback, and a larger combined ownership scenario shown at about $6.7 million out of pocket (before a 30% federal tax credit) with payback under six years in the firm’s model. He also said a PPA could be available at starter rates near 5¢ per kilowatt‑hour with a modest escalator, noting public entities in New Jersey are limited to 15‑year PPA terms but can negotiate extensions.

Committee members and staff asked technical and programmatic questions. The presenter cautioned that circuit capacity and interconnection rules limit some behind‑the‑meter designs and that evolving Board of Public Utilities (BPU) guidance on SRECs and non‑export sites could change project economics. He recommended further engineering (structural and electrical) before final sizing and warned that some distribution circuits have low available export capacity.

Public comment and concerns: resident Greg Kajanovich, who said he participated in design of the municipal building, said he supports rooftop arrays where feasible but urged caution about large ground arrays near affordable housing and urged broader public input. "Putting solar panels in front of affordable housing... would be an insult to the people who are supposed to live there," he said, asking the committee to consider aesthetics and resident preferences.

Next steps: the committee did not adopt any motion to commit funds at the meeting. Members asked staff to provide more detailed engineering estimates, confirm open‑space restrictions tied to deed‑restricted green‑acres property, and circulate Talva’s slides and financial worksheets to committee members who were absent. The presenter highlighted an administrative deadline for projects that start before July if the township wants to lock the current direct payment tax‑credit rules and urged the committee to move quickly if it pursues ownership to capture that window.

The township will review the additional engineering work and financialdetail before deciding whether to begin procurement or to run an RFP for a PPA.