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 — 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.
