Taunton’s first solar project is now live on a school rooftop. How much is being saved?

• Taunton has launched its first municipal solar project, a rooftop array at Chamberlain Elementary School.
• The project cost $2.1 million, including a new roof for the school, and was scaled back from an initial 904 panels due to grid capacity limitations.
• The city opted for a net metering system instead of battery storage to reduce costs and achieve a faster return on investment.
• The Chamberlain installation will serve as a pilot program, with future solar projects at other schools contingent on its success.

TAUNTON – A massive rooftop solar array installation on top of Chamberlain Elementary School is the first city solar project to go live, touted Mayor Shaunna O’Connell at a presentation given in the gymnasium of the school, with school and a city administration officials, as well as students, in attendance.

“This solar array is a shining example of how we can invest in our future while benefiting from immediate savings. This is not just a step forward for Taunton’s sustainability efforts but also a smart investment in energy savings and a cleaner environment for our community,” said O’Connell in a written statement about the project. 

Chamberlain’s solar installation is the first completed of several big solar projects in the city’s pipeline, including a massive installation on top of the landfill on East Brittania Street. 

Details on the array

The rooftop array, installed by Arch Energy, a division of Consigli Construction, includes 570 panels. 

Matthew Parent, solar consultant for the city, stated the installation is a net metered system, which means all excess energy the array produces for the school during peak periods is sold to TMLP and put back on the energy grid. 

The city has a power purchase agreement with TMLP for this installation. 

Arch Energy commenced the installation this past January and completed it by the end of February. 

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Why was Chamberlain chosen?

When the project was approved by Taunton School Committee in December 2023, Chamberlain was chosen because its roof was old, with city officials stating it needed to be replaced soon.  A brand new roof coincided with this solar installation. 

The solar array was installed in coordination with the school getting a new roof, taking advantage of federal tax incentives that offered up to 40% off the cost of the roof, provided it was installed to ensure the building could handle the weight of the solar array.

Referred to as a “pilot program” by Superintendent of Schools John Cabral when the project was before the Taunton School Committee, this installation will influence the extent to which rooftop solar energy will be utilized across the school district in the future. 

Said Cabral in a written statement: “By reducing energy costs, we can reinvest those savings directly into the classroom—enhancing resources, expanding programs, and better supporting the needs of our students. The city’s investment in solar energy is an investment in both fiscal responsibility and a sustainable future for our schools.”

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Cost of the project

The project cost the city $2.1 million, which included the cost of the new roof for Chamberlain. 

Projected savings

Annual energy savings are projected to be $95,000, or $2.85 million over 30 years.

In addition, every solar installation is eligible for a 30% federal tax credit, as well as renewable energy certificates (RECs), which can be sold to businesses as “green” credits on the open market for using or producing renewable energy.

Total federal tax credits for solar and the new roof are estimated around $840,000, with REC figures totaling $18,000 annually.  Altogether, the payback on investment is estimated to be around nine years for the total $2.1 million cost.

Changes to the original project

The proposal was approved by a narrow Taunton School Committee vote in December 2023 for 904 solar panels. Before that, the original proposal was for solar arrays on all public schools in Taunton, but that was later changed to one school due to the exorbitant costs the city couldn’t handle at once.

According to Patrick Dello Russo, chief financial officer for the city, the capacity for the Chamberlain array was reduced to 570 solar panels because TMLP told the city it couldn’t handle that load of excess energy returned to the grid.  “They couldn’t handle the load of over 900 panels,” he said, so the array amount was reduced.

Consultant Matthew Parent said the original plan for the installation was to be battery-based, meaning the array could store the excess energy.  He stated the city and school district removed the battery from the project due to its additional $1.5 million price tag and because a shorter payback on investment was desired. 

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More solar for the schools?

Cynthia Johnson, communications director for Taunton Public Schools, said “There have been no further formal discussions or plans regarding additional schools at this point in time” as the Chamberlain Elementary installation will be studied as a pilot program.