A former Amherst landfill that has become an empty grass field since its closing nearly 30 years ago will provide space for a 4.75-megawatt solar array within the next 18 months, according to Town Manager John Musante.
“It will feature row after row of solar panels tilted in the southerly direction to absorb the most amount of energy,” Musante said.
Able to offset 6,000 tons of carbon annually, according to Musante, the solar project promises to bring the town renewable energy that could save up to $25 million over the next 30 years.
Solar power systems offer a way of ensuring that energy prices stay consistent, according to Erin Baker, an associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Massachusetts, who researches environmental and energy economics.
“Once you buy and install these systems there is really no risk, the price won’t go up,” Baker said.
Amherst town planners considered six proposals for the project before awarding it to BlueWave Capital, LLC earlier this month. The panel picked BlueWave – a project development company based out of Boston – for having the best mix of environmental and financial offerings, Musante said.
“I can’t think of a better place in the country to engage the entire community – businesses, colleges, property owners and residents – in a cost-saving, carbon-reducing initiative than Amherst,” BlueWave founder and managing partner John DeVillars said of the project in a town-issued press release. “We are psyched to partner with a town that shares this vision and is committed to making it a reality.”
“We have built a best-in-class team that very much looks forward to partnering with the town to establish a national model for community-wide solar development and use,” DeVillars added in the release.
Photovoltaic cells will sit above the closed landfill – which has been capped for almost 30 years and was deemed safe for construction by federal regulators – on Old Belchertown Road. Metal beams that support the panels will not puncture the landfill’s plastic cap, which ensures hazardous materials stay underground, according to Musante.
“We believe the settling that usually occurs has already happened,” Musante said, referring to the safety of building on a former landfill.
According to the town-issued press release, the location of the array has the potential to generate property tax payments in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per year over the life of the system.
The financing effort for the project is being led by Smart Energy Capital, which focuses “exclusively on the North American solar photovoltaic industry,” according to its website.
Musante said the town is seeking to move more of its energy needs to green power in the near future.
“Amherst has a goal of having all the town buildings and schools powered by sustainable energy,” Musante said.
In addition to providing energy for Amherst buildings and schools on municipal properties, BlueWave’s proposal includes a commitment to making solar energy sources more affordable and accessible to the town’s business and homeowners.
Norm Simonson, a resident of Amherst, said he would put a solar panel on his property “in an instant” if given assistance from the company.
“I am a very strong supporter of the solar approach, and I think it is a step in the right direction,” Simonson said.
Negotiations over pricing and a potential timeframe between Amherst officials and BlueWave are set to end in the coming weeks, with the project’s completion expected in 12 to 18 months.
Justin Saglio can be reached at [email protected].
