TOWN HALL SOLAR SYSTEM

Back in the waning days of 2010, six solar electric panels were
installed on the Town Hall roof. Some folks are surprised to hear this,
as the panels blend in well and are not very noticeable.
Not only do they just sit there and make power when the sun is up, they
also make money in two ways.
The town has not had to buy 7,860kWhrs of electricity over the last 5 +
years, worth about $1,260, and the SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy
Credits) generated have earned approximately $755 to date.
The panels were also paid for and installed in typical "little Town that
could" fashion. At the time, the Mass Technology Collaborate
incentivized towns with matching funds - the more residents that signed
up to buy 'green' electricity on their electric bill, the more money the
town would receive to do something 'green'. War- wick citizens came
forth in numbers sufficient to earn enough matching funds and grants to
pay for 97% of the modest PV system you see today. The Buildings and
Energy Committee and other volunteers were also able to keep the price
down by doing some preliminary work in the attic and basement to
facilitate the installation.
These days, the price of the solar panels are less than half of what
they cost then, but it still made financial sense to "go solar" then. As
long as the sun shines, the PV panels on our Town Hall will continue to
make clean elec- tricity for years to come, as well as earn some extra
cash in the form of SRECs. Once again, our Town has set a fine example
for our collective and individual future!
Janice Kurkoski, on behalf of the Buildings & Energy Committee