The town of Damariscotta is exploring the feasibility of installing solar panels on the roof of the fire station, according to Town Manager Matt Lutkus.
The goal of the project would be to save money on electricity costs and reduce the town’s use of fossil fuels, Lutkus said. ReVision Energy will conduct a “preliminary analysis” to determine the feasibility of such a project.
Sam Lavallee manages the power purchase agreement program for ReVision Energy, which has offices in Liberty and Portland.
The fire station’s large, south-facing roof makes it the most likely candidate among Damariscotta’s municipal buildings for a solar installation, according to Lavallee.
ReVision Energy plans to propose a 40- to 50-kilowatt system, which could produce about 50,000-60,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, Lavallee said. The town currently uses about 70,000 kilowatt-hours.
The town would likely pay for the project through a lease-purchase arrangement with ReVision Energy or another company in order to take advantage of tax incentives, according to Lavallee and Lutkus.
ReVision Energy would lease the roof space from the town, install the system at no up-front cost to the town, and sell power to the town during a six-year lease period, Lavallee said. After six years, the town could purchase the system at fair market value.
The system would pay for itself in another five to 10 years, Lavalle said. The systems have a lifespan of 40 years, so the town could have free electricity for upwards of 24 years.
A site engineer from ReVision Energy will visit the fire station as part of the analysis, Lavallee said. “In the next three weeks, we’ll have something final for the town,” he said.
Lutkus said the town could also consider its old dump as a potential site for a future solar installation. The approximately 12-acre property at the intersection of Biscay and Standpipe roads serves little purpose at present.
“It’s been at least 10 years since the dump was closed and now it’s a field, a meadow, that we have to maintain,” Lutkus said. “We mow it a couple times a year and it’s vented for methane gas. It has a clay cap on it.”
The effort to determine the feasibility of solar energy at town facilities is part of an ongoing effort to utilize alternative energy sources in Damariscotta.
Solar energy has been a topic of discussion for a group of local activists that Lutkus hopes will become a formal Damariscotta-Newcastle energy committee.
The committee members are assisting in the analysis of alternative energy for municipal use and “looking at the possibility of a community-wide effort to obtain solar equipment for residential use,” Lutkus said.
“One of the models they’re looking at is Solarize Freeport,” Lutkus said. The Solarize Freeport program aims to provide homeowners with discounts on solar installations through bulk purchasing.
The committee also wants to explore the possibility of a community solar farm, Lutkus said. Community solar farms offer an option to people who cannot install solar panels at home due to the suitability of the location or because they rent or live in a condominium.
People buy panels or shares in the cooperative farms and receive a corresponding credit on their electricity bill.
