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Madison Looks to Install Photovoltaic Systems Across Town

In an effort to make the Town of Madison more energy efficient and cut energy costs, the town is actively pursing the installation of photovoltaic, or solar, systems on several municipal buildings. The Board of Selectman (BOS) approved entering into an agreement with Sunlight Solar Energy for those systems at its regular meeting on Aug. 22.

The current plan involves installing systems on Walter C. Polson Middle School, the Police Station, the Town Gym, the Public Works Garage, the Senior Center, the Surf Club, and the facilities building. Energy & Efficiency Committee Chair Woodie Weiss said this project has multiple benefits for the town.

“These projects are much more significant than just saving the town money,” he said. “The first run-through on savings is about half a million dollars over a 20 year contract, but besides saving a tremendous amount of money, these are the first steps in making these buildings more resilient.”

The systems will be mounted on the roofs of the buildings in question, with the exception of the police station, which will have panels along the ball field on the Town Campus compound to maximize sun exposure. Weiss said the systems are significant in size.

“It is about 100 panels and each panel is about 60 inches tall and 35 inches wide, so it will take a good deal of the roof,” he said in describing the model for the Senior Center.

While the project will be extensive, Weiss said the installation of the systems come at no cost to the town.

“The way we have gone about financing this is to have the town pay for the electricity that the systems develop, not pay for the systems,” he said. “Currently the price is a little over eight cents per kilowatt-hour, which is several cents lower than our current price, let alone prices we are going to see in the future. That price is fixed for 20 years.”

The installation of the systems is a part of a growing effort in town to become more energy efficient.

“We are working constantly to reduce the amount of electricity we consume, town-wide,” he said. “Not just through photovoltaic systems, but also for example we have installed 9,300 LED tubes to replace fluorescent tubes in our schools buildings and that will save five percent of our overall electric usage in the municipality. That is enormous.”

All of the systems to be installed across town come as a package agreement for installation and payment. Now that the BOS approved entering into a contract, First Selectman Tom Banisch will complete the contract negotiation. He said he expects final negotiations will move forward quickly.

“I think that we are looking at installing panels by next summer,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we got going even earlier than that.”