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Plymouth schools harness sunshine
State OKs solar farm by high school
PLYMOUTH — A field across from Terryville High School by next year could be blanketed with solar panels as a part of the school district's next leap toward going green.
State regulators approved New Jersey-based Phos Energy to build the solar farm on 8.5 acres of former farmland off Harwinton Avenue. The project must be complete by Oct. 1, 2014, to avoid being in breach of a contract with Connecticut Light & Power.
Wayne Moore, a company representative, said they are working with the Planning & Zoning Commission to have the project approved locally and they have committed to buying the lot.
The property is assessed at $189,310 and is owned by the estate of Ida Biscoe in care of Brett Peltzer, of Wilder, Vt., assessor's records show.
Phos Energy approached the town and school board last spring about building solar arrays near Terryville High School and at Thomaston Center, Harry S. Fisher and Eli Terry Jr. Middle schools.
The panels would be installed in the field and on the roofs of the other schools, leading to a savings of $5 million over the next 20 years, according to company data. Moore said they will be able to produce enough power to supply 100 percent of the school needs, and could also cover town buildings, including the Town Hall, library and fire departments.
Plymouth schools' total Connecticut Light & Power bill over the past year was $311,810. The high school alone uses $169,500 worth of electricity annually; by blanketing the nearby field with 5,110 solar panels, the 1 megawatt of electricity needed could be culled from the sun.
Moore said the schools would be charged a reduced rate for electricity. The rate would increase only with the rate of inflation each year. He said traditional power costs have been rising 6 percent a year, much higher than inflation, which they estimated to be between 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent.
Construction is slated to begin June 1 and be complete by Aug. 1.