Ashland Celebrates Completion of Three Solar Projects

The town of Ashland and Ameresco, Inc. hosted a ribbon cutting on Nov. 8 at the town’s capped landfill at 102 Howe St. to celebrate the completion of three solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities.
The town partnered with Ameresco to develop the solar PV projects under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Ameresco will operate and maintain the systems for the term of the contract to ensure optimal energy production.
“We were happy to have a comprehensive service partner in Ameresco to help us identify and implement a diverse set of meaningful clean energy projects in our community,” Michael Herbert, town manager, said. “These projects not only combat the continuing global impacts of climate change but do so by virtually eliminating the town’s electric bill.”
Ashland’s solar projects at the middle school roof, the high school parking lot and the Howe Street landfill are comprised of more than 5,500 PV panels totaling 1,800 kW DC and designed to generate over 2.2 million kWh of renewable electricity each year. The annual CO2 emissions reduction of 1,632 metric tons is equivalent to taking 350 cars off the road and annual electricity usage of 176 homes.
“This project will contribute to the town of Ashland realizing its goals, under the Green Communities Program, to reduce energy consumption and costs through the implementation of clean energy projects in its municipal buildings, facilities, and schools,” David Anderson, Ameresco’s executive vice president, said. “The three solar projects represent a complimentary component to the larger sustainable initiative across the municipality that included a $3.6 million comprehensive energy efficiency program, providing more than $250,000 in annual savings in its building portfolio.”