In Keene, we are taking a huge step in the direction of sustainability. Since December of 2018, we have stepped up our sustainable practices by installing one of NH’s largest solar arrays. Earlier in the year, the Keene City Council approved a resolution that encouraged our city and residents to eventually generate 100% of our electricity from renewable sources, with the plan to reach that goal by 2030.
We worked with Brentwood, NH-based ReVision Energy [https://www.revisionenergy.com/] to install a 643.2-kilowatt grid-tied solar electric system on the roof of the Public Works Department and Keene Police Department (350-400 Marlboro Street.)
When the sun is shining, these 2,010 solar produce electricity that is either used in real-time by the Public Works Department and Keene Police Department within the same facility, or fed back to the grid where it benefits our community (and earns us a credit). Each year, the system will generate roughly 738,779 kilowatt-hours (kWhs) of electricity, offsetting the equivalent of more than one million miles driven in a gas-powered car, or the carbon that could be sequestered by 416 acres of forests. While the environmental benefits are abundant, the array is also expected to save our taxpayers approximately $3.5 million over the life of the system.
The project was financed through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which means that the town paid no upfront fee to install the solar panels. Instead, a group of investors pays for the upfront cost through a fund managed by ReVision, while the town pays for the power generated from the solar panels each month, instead of paying for power from the grid. After a period of time, the town can opt to buy the system from the investor (at a significantly reduced price) and own all the solar power generated outright!
To see what Keene’s system is producing, both today and across its lifetime, click here: [https://enjoy.solar/Keene]