PUTNEY — Employees from Brattleboro-based Soveren Solar met with the Putney Selectboard at their March 13 meeting to discuss two large scale solar installations eyed for launch within the next few weeks.
The meeting was seen as an opportunity for the Selectboard to weigh in with any significant concerns they might have regarding the two proposed 150 kilowatt installations.
The first would be built at the old factory site across the street from the Basketville store in downtown Putney. The other would be built farther down the road in the field of Putney resident Gary Scholl. The sites would accommodate slightly more than a combined acre of solar panels.
These projects are expected to begin in late April or early May, pending the Vermont Public Service Board's approval of Certificates of Public Good, and a final decision by Basketville on which solar company would build on the site.
The Certificate of Public Good is a state-issued permit from the PSB that will allow Soveren to connect their proposed solar installations to utility lines.
Several additional solar installation companies have also submitted bids, now under review.
The state of Vermont standardized tax rules in 2012, charging a flat fee of $4 per watt per year tax, and all solar arrays below 10 kilowatts continue to be exempt as part of a nationwide renewable energy initiative. Additionally, no value will be added to properties that invest in solar energy in the town.
“We would certainly advocate the tax incentives as a means to accelerate renewable energy,” said Josh Hilsdon, one of the two Soveren employees at the meeting. “It's nice that it currently enjoys tax advantages and that has gotten us where we are, but solar energy is still definitely needing those tax incentives.”
Recently, both Putney and neighboring towns have seen many new solar systems being built for both individual residences and organizations. Nearby Sweet Tree and Harlow farms have both taken advantage of state solar incentives, building 16 kilowatt and 60 kilowatt systems, respectively.
Soveren installed both of these solar projects as well as a smaller-scale demonstration system at the Grammar School in Putney.
Putney resident Nick Ziter is preparing to install a solar farm that individuals can buy shares in to receive solar electric benefits from Green Mountain Power.
Soveren's project on Scholl's property is similar in nature, according to Hilsdon, but will be geared toward commercial establishments wishing to outright buy portions of the solar field, of which around half have already been reserved.
Any business that's a Green Mountain Power customer is eligible to purchase a portion of the solar field for electricity, regardless of distance from the site.
The Selectboard raised concerns about the conditions of the often water-saturated Basketville factory field, noting that the field also is classified as an industrial-waste-contaminated brownfield. A proposed development there flopped with individuals and businesses in 2012.
Although the field is not in a floodplain, according to FEMA maps, it is very close to being one.
According to Maria Thurrell, Soveren's office manager, as the panels are situated well above the ground, water that might collect in the field wouldn't interfere with the systems. Electrical lines would be buried and safe from flooding, she said.
Although some solar systems were damaged during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, the damage was caused by the nearly six feet of water the panels were submerged in, Thurrell said.
Hilsdon added that Soveren has hired a consultant in the process of applying for wetlands permit required of any developer building at this site.
“Both of the sites have been underused. For us, looking around for sites for larger solar installations is very challenging because it's hilly and woody in Vermont, and there's also aesthetic concerns,” Hilsdon said. “In this case, I think both these sites are going to be a really good fit for this and we're really pleased about it and we hope the town is excited about this.”