Somers to Use More Solar Energy

Somers is turning green.

Maybe not the grass and trees quite yet, but at least it is in terms of energy.

The town currently has solar panels on the fire department roof and officials are considering whether to add similar panels to the town garage and Somers Elementary School.

DBS Energy, Inc., the same company that installed the panels on the fire department, would be in charge of the proposed installation. DBS personnel looked at several buildings in town and decided that the school and town garage have the greatest potential to be the newest facilities to have the panels installed.

The money to put the panels on the buildings would come from grants and would be little-to-no cost for the town, First Selectwoman Lisa Pellegrini said.

The town’s grant application to the state Clean Energy Fund has been received and Somers is fourth on the list for the funding, Pellegrini said, adding that she’s optimistic that the town will receive the full amount sought.

The portion of the nearly $900,000 installation that is not included by the $450,000 grant will be paid for over the years through an agreement with DBS; the company will sell the energy produced back to the town to purchase for 20 percent less than what it is being paid now.  

Over the 30-year useful life of the panels, the savings at the school and town garage would be roughly $1.5 million, Erik Bartone, DBS president said. Over its lifetime, the system will be programmed to produce about 250,000 kilowatts per year.

“Between the two systems they’ll have roughly $25,000 a year in energy savings,” Bartone said. “In addition to that, solar produces all of its power during the peak hours of the day. During the day when the sun is out, that’s when it produces the maximum amount of power.”

That is a significant benefit to the town, as well as the state, he said. Connecticut officials are requiring that all consumers must receive at least 20 percent of their energy from a Class One renewable source, such as solar, by 2020.

Pellegrini is excited about the possibilities these solar panels could bring.

“I think they’ve done a wonderful job,” she said of DBS Energy. “I think the possibilities are endless.”

Superintendent of Schools Maynard Suffredini gave his board a briefing on the potential panels last month and said it’s “an excellent project.”

“There is a sizeable amount of money that will be saved by the town through this project,” he said.