The Kent County Commissioners and Board of Education have recently entered into an agreement for the installation and management of a 1.38 megawatt solar PV electrical system.   From the announcement:

Designed and installed by Standard Solar, Inc. and owned and operated by WGES (Washignton Gas and Energy Services, Inc.), the system will provide emissions-free electricity under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with WGES. The proposed 1.38 megawatt ground mount system will be built on 10 acres of land owned by the Board of Education, and will provide clean, renewable energy to the Kent County High School, Worton Elementary School and the Kent County Community Center.

Based on initial estimates, the long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) associated with the deal could allow the county to save more than $85,000 in the first year the system is in operation. Over the 20-year life of the solar system the county could save millions of dollars in energy costs. In addition, there will be no upfront costs to the County for installation and maintenance of the system.

This project was made possible due to recent changes in the net metering law.

The Maryland Public Service Commission recently allowed the net metering law that was passed by the state assembly last year to proceed basically as written. In it, there is a provision for “aggregate metering” by municipalities (e.g., county governments), agriculture, and non-profits, so that these entities can aggregate their electric meters into one account and offset that energy with power produced by alternative energy systems, usually at lower costs than for traditional electricity.

The Center for Environment and Society at Washington College provided assistance with the development of this partnership.  If you have questions about this project or would like guidance for implementing a similar project in your jurisdiction, you may contact the Center’s Climate Action Coordinator,  Briggs Cunningham at bcunningham3@washcoll.edu or 410-810-7174.