L-S School Committee Says NSTAR Stalling Solar Project

Rami Alwan, a biology teacher at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and member of the Sudbury Energy and Sustainability Green Ribbon Committee, warning the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Committee the planned soloar canopy for the parking is being delayed by NSTAR.

The project, which was supposed to have started earlier this year, is a 1.2-megawatt solar canopy covering about 80 percent of the school parking lot. Maryland-based solar company SunEdison has agreed to build and maintain it for free in exchange for a 20-year power purchase agreement with L-S.

But until NSTAR completes some work on their end, the project is being held up.

"NSTAR in my opinion is seriously dragging their feet," Alwan said. "The work on the landfill has been done for a month and half now. We can’t flip the switch and we can’t connect it. We've built it, but it’s not providing us with energy at this point. NSTAR’s financial advantage is to drag its feet as much as possible."

The original plans for the canopy call for the panels to create 1.26 megawatts of electricity, but Alwan said that has since changed.  

"The panels have gotten 18 percent more productive," he said. "They may be able to produce 1.3 (or more)."

The added energy could increase the savings for L-S from $90,000 to $110,000 in the first year.

"It has a lot of potential," Alwan said.

Committee Chair Radha Gargeya reported SunEdison has already applied for the interconnectivity agreement with NSTAR.

"NSTAR (now) needs to do impact study of project," he said. "We’re at a better place than we were (earlier this year) but it requires a lot of monitoring."