NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - North Salem is adding a renewable energy project to its already long list of climate friendly initiatives.
The solar array, destined for the town’s highway garage and salt shed on June Road, is expected to cost $458,333 and will generate 160 megawatts of power over the course of a year.
The town already has in hand $100,000 in funding through the state’s CREST (Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology) program and a $175,000 Clean Energies Communities grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
It also is banking on receiving a federal tax credit of $183,333 and a smaller “incentive” of $42,480 form NYSERDA, according to Janine Kourakos, the town’s chief of staff.
After all is said and done, the net cost to the town is expected to be “zero,” said town Supervisor Warren Lucas.
That’s the good news.
The better news is that any electricity produced by the solar array and not used at the garage will go back into the power grid and the town will receive “credits” from its utility, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSE&G).
Those are anticipated to add up to about $17,000’s worth.
“Essentially the meter runs backwards,” said Town Board member Katherine Daniels, who chairs the town’s Climate Smart Community Leadership Committee (CSCLC).
The savings could cover electricity bills for Town Hall (Delancey Hall) and other buildings at the Titicus Road complex; 66 June Road, where the courtroom, police station, and public meeting room are located; and maybe 3 Owens Road, the town’s community center.
Whether that works out to a “dollar for dollar” situation remains to be seen, Daniels said, adding that she was “very excited” about the project.
Since the town currently spends an estimated $30,000 to $40,000 a year for lighting and heating, that’s a good chunk of change.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Kourakos said. “There’s no cost to install (it) and money’s flowing back into the town’s pocket.”
The ad hoc group’s mission is to support and promote actions and initiatives that will help the town reduce its so-called carbon footprint.
One of those was the creation of a “Climate Action Plan,” and green projects such as solar were a big part of that.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation awarded North Salem Bronze certification as a Climate Smart Community in 2022 after the town had amassed 136 points earned through 14 such actions and initiatives.
That certification, plus all the “multiple, high-impact actions” the town has undertaken in recent years put it in line for the grants, Kourakos said.
Among those initiatives were the creating of a greenhouse gas inventory of town properties, the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, the insulation and installation of a heat pump system at the town’s new community center, and the removal of a waste oil burner at the highway garage.
The project, Daniels said, “satisfies one of the recommendations in the Climate Action Plan and stands to save the town a significant amount of money going forward in the form of our electric bills.”
The Town Board voted on July 8 to authorize the issuance of $450,000 in bonds for the project.
While the town has enough money in hand to purchase and install the solar energy system, the resolution allows it to borrow if it needs to “and to just pay it right back,” said Lucas, explaining that “cash flow is always important.”
BID AWARDED
Six companies put in eight different proposals for the array, which is expected to have a lifespan of 25 years.
While they were all good, the town decided to accept a bid placed by Opal Energy Group, a New Jersey-based company that specializes in commercial and residential solar projects.
Opal was chosen based on several factors, including that it had been recommended by Leo Wiegman, director of solar programs with Sustainable Westchester, a municipally-led nonprofit that focuses on clean energy transitions, the conservation of natural resources, and the promotion of environmental justice.
Wiegman laid things out in a spreadsheet which helped the town compare the benefits of each proposal, Daniels said.
Opal “demonstrated the ability to offer the town a higher federal investment tax credit of 40 percent of the investment cost basis,” his July 1 memo read.
(That was because it could guarantee that at least 10 percent of the products used in the system were made in America.)
Opal also offered a “simple life-of-project” operations and maintenance program under which will monitor the system and replace equipment – under the manufacturer’s warranty – when needed. The town would be billed for actual labor hours rather than charged a set O&M annual fee.
When calculating the net cost per watt after all incentives, Opal Energy had the lowest cost rate: $1.37, Wiegman said in his July 1 memorandum.
Another factor in Opal’s favor was that it was going to do the project in a "single phase" which, Lucas said, would save the town “a fair amount of money.”
It also maintains a stock of major components such as inverters so that it would be able to quickly replace any that fail.
(Inverters are devices that convert the direct current (DC) electricity generated by solar panels into alternating current (AC) electricity.)
The town still needs to sign an “interconnection” agreement with NYSE&G, but that’s just standard procedure.
It also has to increase the service from 200 to 400 amps. Again, that’s not expected to be a problem.
GREEN MACHINE
North Salem’s Bronze certification expires on Sept. 30, 2027.
Among its many accomplishments have been the creation of a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory which provided the town with data it can use to reach the Climate Action Plan’s 2030 GHG emissions goals and “net zero” target gate.
Action areas addressed water, land, air, clean energy, transportation and waste reduction, among others.
Decreased energy consumption is also a factor.
The town has replaced all of its interior and street lights with LED systems.
Its building inspector and assistant inspector both completed energy code enforcement training and the town voluntarily adopted the state’s “Stretch Energy Code.”
The code, developed by NYSERDA, sets higher efficiency standards for new and renovated buildings than the state’s base energy code.
It supplements the 2020 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State (ECCCNYS).
The CSC’s efforts also resulted in the creation of an open space inventory.
It was funded by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets – with contributions from the town and the North Salem Open Land Foundation – and built upon previous work done by the North Salem Open Space Committee and the North Salem Land Preservation Alliance.
The findings will be used to inform and educate local landowners about land conservation, including the value of preserving natural resources and open spaces as well as the potential tax advantages of granting easements.
GOOD JOB ALL AROUND
Lucas thanked the CSC – especially Daniels and Kourakos -- for the “phenomenal job” they’d done getting the solar project going.
Both he and Daniels praised Wiegman for his valuable input and assistance.
Daniels told Halston Media that she was very grateful that the supervisor and the Town Board were solidly behind the solar project.
“That’s so important to me and our committee,” she said.
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