More new solar panels are planned for the Gus Canty Community Center and the Senior Center next door.
More new solar panels are planned for the Gus Canty Community Center and the Senior Center next door.
The Select Board has approved a lease agreement with SunWealth Power Inc. to replace existing solar panels and install new ones on the Gus Canty Community Center and the Senior Center.
The project includes the removal of older panels and the installation of 73 new solar panels.
Decommissioning of the existing system could begin as early as January, with installation expected to follow in February, weather permitting. Each building will be treated as a separate project, with installation estimated to take approximately two weeks per site.
The agreement is structured as a 20-year power-purchase lease, with an option to extend for an additional five years. The town also has the option to purchase the solar panels after seven years. There are no upfront capital costs to the town, as SunWealth Power will own, operate, install and maintain the system throughout the lease term.
Under the agreement, the community center will pay for the solar electricity it uses. The new panels are expected to supply approximately 78% of the building’s electricity needs. Over the life of the 20-year lease, the town estimates savings of $117,701.
Stephanie Madson, the town’s sustainability specialist, told the Select Board that engineers have confirmed the roof can support the increased number of panels.
The existing panels, originally installed in 2003, generate approximately 200 watts each and will be removed by a separate vendor. Madson said she aims to have the existing panels repurposed for other town uses, potentially relocating them to Pick of The Litter at the town’s waste management facility, where they could be connected to backup batteries and used to electrify heaters.
The new panels will generate 410 watts each, more than doubling the output of the previous system. If the town chooses not to purchase the system, SunWealth Power will remove the panels at its own expense no later than 180 days after the lease expires.
Madson said the Senior Center is expected to experience the most—but limited—impact during installation. Installation work near the main entrance is expected to take place on weekends, when the Senior Center is closed, to reduce disruptions.
Neither building will close due to the decommissioning or installation of panels.
A coordination meeting was held on Tuesday, January 6, with key stakeholders, including the town’s facilities director, town electrician, directors of the senior center and recreation center, the solar vendor, the decommissioning vendor and the Police Department, as installation at the Senior Center might impact traffic flow at the nearby station.
“We’re just going to keep it very safe,” Madson told the Enterprise. “We want patrons to still use the facilities and have as little impact on them as possible.”
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