Medfield Energy Committee Spring 2023 Solar Survey Results

Medfield Energy Committee Spring 2023 Solar Survey Results

The Medfield Energy Committee is excited to share the results to date from our recent survey about installing solar arrays on rooftops and parking lot canopies at our local schools.

The survey was designed to gather feedback from the community about solar projects at our schools and identify any questions residents have.We are pleased to report that more than 65% of respondents expressed their outright support for solar canopy projects at the schools, citing a range of benefits for the environment and the economics for the town.

An additional 23% of respondents noted they were supportive but wanted more information.

Support for solar rooftop projects was even higher with 69% outright supportive and 25% who are supportive but would like more information.Sixty-one percent of residents noted that the main reason for their support of the project is the environmental benefit.

The proposed projects will generate 76% of the energy used by the High, Middle and Memorial Schools, which will provide a significant environmental benefit.The top two areas where more information was requested were financial information(what is the cost/benefit to the town) and energy generation (how much power will the arrays produce and will it cover the energy demand of the buildings?).

Regarding the financial information: The installer pays for 100% of the construction costs and maintenance. Medfield would enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)with the installer, which is the most common type of agreement for public entities because the municipality does not need to make the capital investment. The municipality purchases the power generated by the solar systems at the agreed PPA rate (which stays steady throughout the contract period [25 years in this case]), and thereby helps stabilize future electricity costs to the schools.

With future electricity costs expected to rise, Medfield Public School’s savings from solar should continue to increase over the term.Based on current estimates, the solar canopies at the High School, Middle School, and Memorial School and the array on the partial rooftop project at the Middle School, will generate approximately 76% of those schools’ annual electricity needs overall.Canopies at Memorial School may actually generate more power than currently consumed annually at that location. Such a surplus can be applied to other town buildings.

For more answers to questions raised and general project information, visit the Solar Projects section of the town’s website,http://www.town.medfield.net/2182/Solar-Projects. We want to thank everyone who took the time to participate in this survey and share your thoughts with us. We hope everyone will vote yes on Article 25 at the upcoming Town Meeting that will allow the School Committee to proceed with the process of reviewing these impactful solar projects.

The Medfield Energy Committee