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Committee reviews town solar-field performance and potential municipal solar leases
Summary
The committee heard that Bridgewater's solar fields in place since 2015—'16 have supplied the town since 2016 and have been "saving us somewhere around 80 to 85 percent annually on our energy costs for the town," with an avoided-cost estimate of about $1.5 million; members discussed identifying town parcels for new solar lease revenue.
The chair summarized the town's two solar fields (installed circa 2015—'16) and said they have supplied the town since 2016, noting the panels are beginning to age. "Solar field has been saving us somewhere around 80 to 85 percent annually on our energy costs for the town," he said, and later noted the investment had "avoided, like, over $1,500,000 of energy cost" over time.
He reported a recent inventory of town parcels and parking lots identified several candidate sites for additional solar installations, which could generate lease revenue and potential betterment tax revenue for the town. The committee agreed to pursue manager-level outreach and study whether to lease parcels or pursue developer partnerships and to explore school-district opportunities separately.
