ASHFIELD — Thanks to a $870,872 grant from the state Department of Energy Resources, Ashfield will be able to move forward with installing a 179.45-kilowatt solar system at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and a 74.88-kilowatt solar system at the Highway Garage.
“It’s great news,” Energy Committee member Mary Quigley told the Selectboard on Monday.
The Energy Committee has been working toward a goal of cutting fossil fuels in municipal facilities by 95.6% by 2050. As part of that goal, the committee applied for a Climate Leader grant to add solar, which could save the town $2 million in energy costs over 25 years.
In March, the town signed a letter of intent with Solect Energy to construct the two solar arrays, which were estimated to cost approximately $832,593, and at Town Meeting in May, voters approved appropriating $100,000 to put toward a grant match for the solar.
Quigley said a structural engineering report for the Highway Garage noted that a roughly $50,000 roof repair would be needed before the flat rooftop solar array could be installed. Still, given the net savings, the system is anticipated to pay for itself in three years.
The two solar arrays are estimated to be able to produce 274,657 kilowatt-hours in their first year, which would be more than enough to cover the total 94,280 kilowatt-hours of electricity used each year by the Highway Garage and Wastewater Treatment Plant. The excess energy will be sold back to the grid to offset energy costs at other town facilities.
With the grant announced, the town can now move forward with signing contracts with the state and preparing for installation to begin, potentially as soon as spring 2026.
