Renewable Energy
WMECO understands the importance of renewable power sources like solar, wind and hydropower for our customers, our environment and our future. That's why we are dedicated to supporting research, development and promotion of renewable energy technologies.
Our most recent effort to promote sustainable energy solutions began in February 2009 when WMECO filed with the Department of Public Utilities a plan to implement an integrated, large-scale solar energy program in its service area that can begin to generate power from photovoltaic (PV) facilities as early as 2010.
Under the 2008 Green Communities Act proposed by the Patrick Administration and passed by the Massachusetts legislature, electric distribution companies like WMECO are authorized to play a critical role in meeting the state’s solar energy goal of developing 250 megawatts (MW) of installed solar by 2017. Under the Green Communities Act, utilities can own up to 50 MW of solar facilities.
Since generating utility-scale quantities of electricity from photovoltaics is a relatively new technology, both in Massachusetts and nationwide, the WMECO program is designed to function as a progressive program that will help the state answer key questions important to scaling up solar operations to serve larger populations. Among the issues to be explored are how solar facilities should connect to the grid most efficiently; what role smart grid technologies will play in the use of solar power; how utilities should work with local component manufacturers and installers of solar equipment.
In the first phase of the WMECO plan, we have identified eight locations as potential host sites of solar facilities. These locations represent many of the major categories of potential locations in the state.
WMECO’s program has been designed to be as cost-effective as possible for customers and the Commonwealth. WMECO will help offset the program’s costs by selling not only the electricity generated by the solar arrays but also its environmental and other credits through programs such as Renewable Energy Credits and New England’s Forward Capacity Market. Value obtained from these transactions as well as any grants, incentives or other sources of funds will be used to help pay for the program. If approved, the bill impact on customers is expected to be modest, amounting initially to less than $1 per month for an average residential customer using 500 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month.
We expect a decision on the filing this summer.
But WMECO’s Solar filing in February 2009 isn’t the first of our efforts to make sustainable energy an important part of our business. Here are some other examples of how WMECO has been leading the way over the years:
WMECO pioneered the first-ever Solar Avenue program in western Massachusetts, helping customers across the region take advantage of the power of the sun. This pilot program alone reduced reliance on traditional energy sources, such as coal and nuclear fuel by 43,000 kilowatt hours each year, saving customers close to $1,700 in annual electricity costs and reducing emissions into the environment by 56,000 pounds a year.
We also partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and Steven Winters Associates to monitor and evaluate a "Zero Energy Home" in Hadley, Mass. WMECO was one of the first utility companies in the country to bring together energy-efficient construction, lighting and appliances; solar electric and hot water systems; and a fossil-fuel heating system to create a self-sustaining home. You too can now estimate the costs and savings for your own solar system by completing a free solar estimator.
WMECO was part of a collaborative effort at our headquarters in Springfield, MA, that worked to install a solar electric system on the Technology Park rooftop in Springfield to produce clean energy. WMECO, Appleton Corporation and Springfield Technical Community College Assistance Corporation joined forces with Berkshire Photovoltaic Services of Adams, MA, and installed a 30-kW system. The system of 108 separate solar panels generates more than 36,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and helps manage the growing energy needs of Technology Park. The clean energy the system will generate over its lifetime of close to 30 years will replace the energy equivalent of more than 150 tons of coal, or 31,000 gallons of gas and avoid 756 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The project was funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust administered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC).
We lend our financial support and expertise to a variety of projects, such as Greenfield Community College's laboratory course on sustainable energy, as well as the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.
While we continue to identify new opportunities to bring to our customers and find innovative ways to support these cutting-edge technologies, we ask that you, our valued customer, do your part. That means making smart choices when buying new appliances, being proactive with conservation in your home, and learning about the incentives and programs that WMECO offers to help you save energy and money. It doesn’t always take a lot of effort to see a lot of savings.
Here are some helpful links to get you started on the pathway toward energy efficiency:
Other helpful links:
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