SWAMPSCOTT — The Climate Action and Resilience Plan Committee is considering new ways to light up and energize Swampscott.
During the committee’s meeting on Tuesday evening, the group spoke about its goals to install solar energy panels and charging stations for electric vehicles in more locations around the town, with the hope that it will reduce energy costs for the town.
The committee raised the idea of potentially using solar energy not just in the Vinnin Square redevelopment project, but it also has its sights on getting solar panels in residential and commercial areas throughout the town.
“We’re still in the early stages of talks,” Committee Chair Martha Schmitt said. “This is a draft for a starting point on the things the committee would need to talk to the developer about.”
“I think around 75% of our emissions are coming from residential buildings and vehicles, but a very small percentage is coming from municipal buildings,” Schmitt said.
The committee advocated that new development of solar energy offers the opportunity to maximize renewable energy, citing that solar energy is the cheapest form of energy and that it could potentially reduce the cost of electricity for tenants and the town.
One option that the committee is considering would be to create a community solar farm that is not restricted to Swampscott, as ReVision, a New England-based solar company the committee is working with, is currently looking for hosting sites. Though the committee has many steps ahead in its efforts to reduce electricity costs, Schmitt said that plans may change due to the committee still being in the early stages of talks.
Director of Facilities Max Kasper took a second to speak on behalf of some projects that are being developed to increase the use of solar energy at Swampscott Elementary School (SES). “We’ve been working with Arch Energy, which is a subset of Consigli Construction, and we hired them to do a feasibility study for municipal properties in town for solar.”
Kasper noted some sites he’s eager to see advanced in the near future, such as Blocksidge Field and the Police Station. “I was thinking we could do canopies with chargers integrated, but unfortunately, National Grid’s infrastructure on Humphrey Street is poor,” Kasper said. “But for the immediate future, those projects won’t happen until National Grid updates the infrastructure.”
According to Kasper, one project that will be advancing will be the addition of solar panels on the rooftop of SES. “We’re contracted for the rooftops,” Kasper said. “National Grid is doing a study, so it’s not like we’ll be delayed significantly. But we’re hoping to install them by the spring or summer on the rooftop.”
