Simonian Center Solar Project
A ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the successful completion of Sutton's newest clean energy initiative - the installation of a 200kW photovoltaic (PV) system at the Simonian Center for Early Learning was held on Tuesday, May 17th.
Two Solectria inverters were turned on in January and began generating electricity from the 201.8 kW system. Just one year prior, the Town of Sutton went out to bid for the design and replacement of the schoolís 20-year-old leaking roof. What began as a roof repair effort turned into a solar project, as the Town examined the potential electricity cost savings that a PV system could provide.
The project is one of the largest municipally-owned PV systems in the Commonwealth. It was supported by two Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) awarded to the Town of Sutton through a competitive selection process by the Department of Environmental Resources (DOER) Green Communities division. For its "shovel ready" project, the Town received $150,000 for construction and $20,000 for technical assistance, provided by the Watertown-based Cadmus Group, Inc.