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Scituate, Massachusetts is 100 Percent Powered by Renewable Energy

Antonio Pasolini's picture
Antonio Pasolini
Energy Refuge

Antonio Pasolini is a blogger focused on renewable energy who is based between the UK and Brazil. He writes about alternative energy for Energe Refuge (www.energyrefuge.com).

  • Member since 2018
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  • Aug 1, 2013 11:00 pm GMT
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solar_powerWith the inauguration of a 3 MW solar power station, Scituate (MA) became the first town in Commonwealth to get 100 percent of its power from alternative energy sources.

The project was developed by Gehrlicher Solar America, which earlier in 2013 opened a regional office in Boston to support its expanding New England market. Until now, the company has completed 16 MW of projects in the State and has an additional 62 MW in the pipeline.

The Scituate project was developed in partnership with Main Street Power Company, an owner and operator of solar assets, MS Solar Solutions, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, project developers Syncarpha Capital and Brightfields Development, along with Scituate’s local government.

The solar array has a peak capacity of 3 MW and comprises 10,560 solar panels and five inverters.

“The Town is very pleased to have this important project underway, and we look forward to the financial, educational and environmental benefits it brings to the residents of Scituate,” said Shawn Harris, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen for the Town of Scituate, which is also home to a 1.5 MW wind turbine project commissioned in March 2012.

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John NIchols's picture
John NIchols on Aug 1, 2013

 

First, the “big lie” was PV provides enough energy to power 100, 1000,10,000 homes, etc.  Now, the big lie is PV provides 100% of the power and just the skip the number of households.  Did someone forget to send the memo about 24 hours sunlight?  In my home state of Delaware, according to the solar energy lobbying group Vote Solar Initiative, the capacity factor for PV is only 14%. I doubt the New England states are any better than this. This means natural gas (usually) tends the intermittancy of PV and/or wind. Colorado (foolishly) actully ramps coal fired plants up and down to accomplish the same objective.  Of course, they are not designed to run this way, so generator life expectancy is reduced and emissions are increased, when compared to using coal for base load.

Paul O's picture
Paul O on Aug 3, 2013

Peter, 

Here is a quote from your link:-

“Albert Bangert, Scituate’s director of public works, said the solar farm will produce enough electricity to power half of the town’s………. municipal buildings,………….. saving the town about $200,000 in energy costs annually. The town’s 1.5-megawatt wind turbine, also off the Driftway, will power the other half, officials said.”

 

Please note the Bolded Text above.

Paul O's picture
Paul O on Aug 3, 2013

Since my last reply was apparently deleted, I’ll try again.

Posts ups like the one from  Antonio Pasolini Betray EXCESSIVE ENTHUSIASM that is reminescent of political or religious zealots, and not of rational men of Science.

He is a Lazy reporter who made no attempt to investigate what he has reported. He seems to think that anything relating to and promoting renewables is automatically fine at Face Value.

I compliment  peter gallagher  above for at least researching the matter for us. People who post threads should try to reveal the facts as best as they can, and should be prepared for negative comments should they betray laziness, and irrational factless enthusiasm.

 

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