The town of Marshfield, Mass. will unveil its 4-MW solar array in a ribbon cutting ceremony today with representatives from Washington Gas Energy Systems Inc., AMSOLAR, SunDurance Energy and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The ground-mounted solar array is built on a capped landfill and consists of 13,518 panels covering 13 acres of land. Washington Gas Energy Systems will own and operate the array under a 20-year power purchasing agreement.
“The Marshfield Board of Selectmen are very proud of this partnership, and have worked intimately at every stage of the process, including with the Town Meeting voters,” said Steve Robbins, chair of the Marshfield Board of Selectman. “The project was supported overwhelmingly at the Town meeting and will provide great financial opportunities for the Town.”
With the completion of the Marshfield solar array, Washington Gas Energy Systems now owns and operates six projects in Massachusetts, including a 434-kWsystem in Brookfield, a 3,802-kWsystem in Bellingham, a 3,600-kW system in Southbridge, a 2,400-kW system in Orange and a 1,200-kW system in Maynard. The Marshfield array was developed by AMSOLAR and engineered and built by SunDurance Energy. No Fossil Fuel was the original developer of the project.
“Investing in solar energy throughout Massachusetts is a key strategy for Washington Gas Energy Systems, and Marshfield is the latest of six projects we have completed in the state,” said Sanjiv Mahan, vice president of business development for Washington Gas Energy Systems. “We will continue to invest in clean and renewable energy assets to support states like Massachusetts in achieving their long-term energy goals.”
The system is expected to produce more than 5,000,000-kW hours of clean energy each year, which is equivalent to the total annual electrical usage of approximately 485 average single-family homes. The array will help power Marshfield municipal buildings and schools.
“AMSOLAR is thrilled to have helped put the team together that delivered this project for the town of Marshfield,” said Chris Hunter, senior vice president of AMSOLAR. “The project is a testament to the town’s commitment to renewable energy and cements Marshfield as a forward thinking leader on sustainability issues.”
The solar array is located at 120 Clay Pit Road in Marshfield.
“This is SunDurance Energy’s second successful solar landfill project, extending the legacy of our parent company, The Conti Group, in closing over 50 landfills and superfund sites as a pioneer in environmental remediation,” said Al Bucknam, chief executive officer of SunDurance Energy. “Landfills like Marshfield have sat dormant for years and it’s gratifying to return unusable space to the productive purpose of clean energy production. We hope that this solar landfill accomplishment leads to many similar projects in the coming years in Massachusetts.”
“We are thrilled to see a fully operational solar farm ready to start generating revenue for the town of Marshfield,” said Mary O’Donnell, owner of No Fossil Fuel. “This really was a community-wide effort, and could not have been completed without the perseverance and vision of the employees, board members, volunteers and citizens of the town Marshfield as well as the teams at AMSOLAR, SunDurance and Washington Gas Energy Systems.”
— Solar Builder magazine
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