Cambridge Mulls Solar Panels at Payson Park Reservoir

Cambridge is looking to the sun for its energy needs. And they are looking to Belmont to help supply that demand.

The city of Cambridge plans to research the practicality of alternative energy projects at various Water Department properties, including the Payson Park Reservoir in Belmont, according to Assistant City Manager Nancy Schlacter.

"The city is always looking at alternative energy projects," said Schlacter, who stressed it's very early in the process.

"We don't have a lot of open land here, so where we do have properties, we're looking at those for what they do present," she said.

The 163-acre Payson Park Reservoir, located in Belmont, is owned by Cambridge. It holds 43 million gallons of drinkable water. It is a poplar walking and jogging area located a block from the Chenery Middle School.

The Cambridge Water Board has contracted the local engineering firm CDM to conduct a feasibility study for solar at the reservoir, Schlacter said.

"We need to ascertain what's involved," Schlacter said May 19, "from technical and engineering issues to a cost-benefit analysis. If it's deemed feasible, then there would be a larger process."

Most solar power plants use photovoltaics cells to convert light into electric current using the photoelectric effect. They include the very familiar solar panels on the roof of homes and businesses. 

Large scale commercial concentrating solar plants are located in Spain and the United States to power industrial and residential areas. China will soon create the largest solar plants.

Schlacter said it was too early to discuss what that potential process would entail but said it would involve the public. She also said the potential size and scope of any project would depend on the results of the feasibility study. Schlacter did not have a timeframe for the study.

"Essentially, we're looking at a variety of things at different sites," she said. "No decisions have been made. It's still a drawing-board concept."

Last week, Belmont Planning Board Chairman Jennifer Fallon spoke briefly at the board's scheduled meeting concerning the proposed solar project. She noted that while solar power panels are exempt from most zoning requirements, most panels are for residential uses. It is not clear if those existing rules would apply to a commercial venture.