First Community Solar Plus Storage Project in Massachusetts Announced for Energy Leader Sterling Municipal Light Department by Origis Energy USA
1 MWAC solar rooftop installation coupled
with 2 MWh energy storage system continues Sterling, MA award-winning
track record of clean energy leadership in the Commonwealth
MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Energy–Origis Energy USA, Powering the Solar RevolutionSM with
custom clean energy solutions, today announced the Sterling Community
Solar + Energy Storage project under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
with Sterling, MA based, Sterling Municipal Light Department (SMLD).
Representing the first community solar plus storage project in
Massachusetts, the project couples a 1 MWAC rooftop solar
installation with a 1 MW/2 MWh energy storage system to deliver an
annual base load of 1.7 MWh in dispatchable clean energy to the town’s
ratepayers. It has been developed and will be owned by Origis Energy
USA. Sterling Community Solar + Energy Storage will also be the first
operational solar plus storage project in Massachusetts.
Matt Stelmach, Chairman of the SMLD Board of Commissioners, stated that
the Board had been discussing the potential of a community-based project
for quite some time, but held off. This is due to the already high
penetration of solar into Sterling amidst concerns of over dependence on
an intermittent power source. “We are approaching the Light Department’s
self-imposed cap on commercial solar capacity,” explained Stelmach, “but
introduction of a grid-scale battery system greatly reduces any concerns
along those lines. This project is a very good match for Sterling and
will greatly benefit its ratepayers.”
“We have tremendous support from our community to implement progressive
clean energy initiatives,” said Sean Hamilton, Manager, Sterling
Municipal Light Department. "The Sterling Community Solar + Energy
Storage project allows us to take another step forward, opening up
access to solar energy to a broad spectrum of our customers, including
those for which installing an independent solar power system is
challenging. The technology also supports our goals to provide
competitive electricity rates while further enhancing the resiliency,
grid stability and environmental standards we have come to embrace here
in Sterling.”
Construction on the solar plus storage facility starts this month and
will be completed by the end of March. Just over 4000 Tier 1 solar
panels will be located on commercial property owned by RockBreakers LLC
and managed by Vincent J. CampoBasso, a resident of Sterling, MA.
CampoBasso, a prominent local attorney, has worked alongside the Origis
Energy and SMLD team to bring this project to realization. The battery
system, Tier 1 lithium ion equipment, will be located at ground level
onsite.
“The Sterling team has demonstrated leadership in clean energy adoption
in MA,” said Josh Teigiser, Director of Development & Energy Storage,
Origis Energy. “SMLD has national and state level accolades to its
credit and a track record of helping other cities and countries adopt
renewable energy systems. We are honored to work with them on this
pioneering community solar plus storage system.”
The Sterling Community Solar + Energy Storage project will utilize
community solar program guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of
Energy Resources (DOER) to craft a subscription program for ratepayers
in line with state policy. Information will be available from SMLD
shortly for the Sterling, MA ratepayers to provide guidance for their
involvement in the program.
The Sterling Municipal Light Department is a progressive public power
utility located 10 miles NNE of Worcester, Massachusetts in the Town of
Sterling. It has served ratepayers for over 100 years and has more than
3,700 residential, commercial, municipal and industrial customers.
Recent recognition for SMLD and the Town of Sterling’s energy innovation
includes the Massachusetts Leading by Example (LBE) program by the
Department of Energy Resources and a Greentech Media 2017 Grid Edge
Award, recognizing projects defining the future integrated, interactive
electric grid.
About Origis Energy
Origis Energy is Powering the Solar RevolutionSM with custom
clean energy solutions for utility, commercial and public sector
clients. The Origis team has worked to ensure the interests of all
stakeholders are upheld in more than 100 projects worldwide totaling
over 1 gigawatt to date of developed solar capacity. Headquartered in
Miami, FL, Origis Energy USA delivers excellence in solar and energy
storage project development, financing, engineering, procurement and
construction (EPC) and operations, maintenance and asset management for
investors and clean energy consumers across Europe and the Americas. For
more information, visit the company online at www.origisenergy.com.
Contacts
Media Contact
Origis Energy
Glenna Wiseman
786 693
2624 – Office
909 553 3141 – Cell
[email protected]
