National Grid switches on three Massachusetts solar plants

December 27, 2010

By James Cartledge

Power utility National Grid marked the completion of three new Massachusetts solar facilities last week in Massachusetts, making the company the largest owner of solar generation in New England.

When combined with the already-completed Whitinsville/Sutton, Mass. installation the projects in Revere, Haverhill and Everett will generate a total of 3.4 megawatts of solar power, thereby eliminating a collective 3.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year, the company said.

This would be the equivalent of removing more than 1,100 passenger cars from the road, it suggested.

“This is a terrific example of the state, local communities and industry working together for the benefit of the citizens of Massachusetts and the environment,” said Edward White, vice president of Energy Products for National Grid. “We are proud to help the Commonwealth advance its green energy and green economy goals from vision to reality.”

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony held at National Grid’s Revere solar site which is capable of generating .75 mega-watts of solar power through 2,640 solar panels, Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles said, “Clean energy is an integral component of the Patrick-Murray administration’s strategic investment in job creation, innovation and the state’s long-term economic growth.

“On behalf of the Administration, I applaud National Grid for taking a leadership role in developing five sites, including four former brownfield sites, for the generation of carbon-free solar energy. In making this investment, Grid is an important partner with the Commonwealth in our pursuit of a clean energy future,” added Mr Bowles.

Construction at the Revere solar facility began during the spring of 2010 with placement of the first panel in November 2010. The facility is capable of generating enough solar energy to power approximately 150 homes annually.

The estimated cost of the project is approximately $5.4 million.

Approval

In October 2009, National Grid received approval from the Mass. Department of Public Utilities to design, build, own and operate five solar generation facilities that would yield approximately five megawatts of power.

National Grid’s Whitinsville solar site, completed in June 2010, was the first utility-owned solar generation facility in service under the Commonwealth’s 2008 Green Communities Act, which allows utilities to own up to 50 megawatts of solar generation.

The fifth solar site planned and approved for Dorchester near National Grid’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) rainbow tank is expected to come on line in early summer of 2011.

The company’s local contractors for various aspects of all five projects included Dagle Electric of Melrose, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., of Watertown, Nexamp of North Andover; Lynnwell Associates Inc., Boston; GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., Norwodd; T Ford, Georgetown; Lidco Electrical Contractors, Holden; Innovative Engineering Solutions, Walpole; Solar Design Associates, Harvard; American Capital Energy, North Chelmsford; Zapotec Energy, Cambridge; Bond Brothers, Everett; Maxymillian Technologies, Pittsfield; and Fischbach & Moore Electrical Group, LLC, Boston.

National Grid worked with Solectria Renewables of Lawrence, Mass. to provide inverters for three of the sites.