Glastonbury to Install Solar Panels at Town Buildings

Glastonbury is looking to install solar panels on several town buildings in an attempt to continue their collaboration with the Clean Energy Communities program and save on future energy costs.

The town is working with SolarCity, a Rocky Hill photovoltaic cell firm, to install solar panels at , and .  Town Manager Richard Johnson told the town council at their Aug. 8 meeting that town hall and GHS were identified as potential recipients of the solar panels through the Zero Emission Renewable Energy Credit reverse auction process. The maintenance facility was identified through the Connecticut Energy Finance & Investment Authority.

Those buildings were also chosen because they use the most power in town. The solar arrays should yield annual energy savings in year one of $73,533, Johnson estimated.

The panels will be installed on the roofs of the high school and garage, and on the ground-level to the northwest of the softball field at town hall.

SolarCity will install and operate the solar panels, and plan to finance the project by using state and federal grants and energy credits. The town will purchase electricity for the buildings from the cells, and SolarCity will then sell the excess electricity to Connecticut Light & Power.