Adding solar arrays to municipal buildings is a great way for Weymouth to gain access to reliable and cheap energy while offsetting the cost of new construction across the town.
Now is the best time for Weymouth to integrate solar into municipal construction. Town officials have moved forward with plans to construct a new building to replace the Tufts Library, and will most likely replace the aging Chapman Middle School.
Why Build Solar?
Building solar on new buildings saves money for the town (and taxpayers), increases the reliability of our grid, and provides benefits to the environment.
Massachusetts is a surprisingly great area to construct solar. Bright, cold winters and long summer days mean an array here can be as efficient as the same array in Texas. Taxpayers would see cost savings that would last decades.
Is Now the Best Time for Solar?
Critics may point to recent, short-term turmoil in solar markets as a reason not to invest in solar now. But any price increase will be temporary, and only affect the price of solar for the next year or two. Municipal leaders can take steps to sidestep this market anomaly, by ensuring that the rooftops on the new Chapman School and Tufts Library are solar ready.
Solar ready rooftops are a relatively easy requirement for new construction. By building a solar-ready rooftop town leaders can wait the 1-2 years necessary for solar prices to stabilize before installing solar arrays on the new Chapman and Tufts buildings.
Next Steps
Solar ready rooftops should be seen as a last resort for municipal leaders. Before doing that, Town officials should fully explore and take advantage of state and federal incentive programs to make the cost of building solar more affordable.
Now is the best time for Weymouth to invest in solar to save taxpayer money, increase electricity reliability, and provide benefits to the environment.
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