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Officials, residents push for expanded school solar projects and Green Bank review
Summary
Officials and public commenters urged the district and towns to pursue behind‑the‑meter solar on school buildings, citing Connecticut Green Bank incentives and potential quick paybacks; a resident asked planners to meet with Green Bank staff to scope options for Memorial and the high school.
Regional School District 13 and town representatives discussed renewed opportunities to expand solar energy on district facilities, and members of the public urged the board to pursue Connecticut Green Bank assistance.
A town official said the Green Bank is now favoring incentives for institutional behind‑the‑meter installations and that a high‑school rooftop sized during recent construction could support solar arrays. The presenter emphasized that properly scoped projects could generate energy and sell excess back to the grid while producing revenue and faster paybacks; the Green Bank can provide scoping, financing and engineering assistance without charge.
Public commenters reinforced the point. Susan Mcamera read a statement from Bob and Elma Elder urging planners to meet with the Connecticut Green Bank and incorporate solar into plans for Memorial School and other projects to reduce greenhouse gases and long‑term energy costs.
Why it matters: shifting incentives and available financing could materially shorten payback timelines for school solar projects, potentially making installations affordable without large up‑front taxpayer expense. District and town officials said they will pursue initial scoping while construction and roof work are underway to take advantage of opportunities.
Next steps: officials agreed to invite Green Bank staff for scoping and to evaluate solar work in conjunction with planned roof and construction projects.
