News

Hamden, CT. January 5, 2015—The 1-megawatt solar system at the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority’s (SCCRWA) North Sleeping Giant water treatment facility in Hamden, Connecticut, is now live and producing most of the energy needed to power the facility.

The ground-mounted solar system includes more than 4,000 solar panels—making it one of the largest in the state. The array is comprised of 332 strings of 13 panels each, and will provide more than 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of energy each year—that’s over 80% of the energy used at this water treatment facility, or enough to power more than 120 average-sized Connecticut homes.

In keeping with the SCCRWA’s sustainability goals, the project will reduce the SCCRWA’s carbon footprint by 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually. That is the equivalent of planting 22,600 trees.

“The Regional Water Authority pledges to continue our commitment to advance economic, social and environmental sustainability for our customers, our region, and our state. This solar energy system is another step in our journey to become even better stewards of the environment and the ability to provide our customers with high-quality water and other services at reasonable rates,” said Larry L. Bingaman, the Regional Water Authority’s President and CEO.

The system is the culmination of three years of effort. It was made possible through the Connecticut Renewable Energy Credit Program, in conjunction with United Illuminating, the Town of Hamden, and Solar City. Solar City, with Connecticut operations based in Rocky Hill, installed, financed, and will maintain the panels.

The SCCRWA has locked in their energy costs through a power purchase agreement by agreeing to a set rate for the solar power the array creates—a rate below what they’re currently paying for utility power. The project is expected to save the SCCRWA $1.0 million over 20 years. These savings will be passed on to the SCCRWA’s customers in the form of reduced rate increases.

He South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority supplies water and related services to consumers in 15 communities in the region. It owns and protects over 27,000 acres of watershed land and provides a wide array of educational and recreational opportunities to the community.

SolarCity can provide Connecticut residents, businesses, and municipalities the ability to go solar simply and affordably and, in many cases, for less than they pay for utility bills. Interested homeowners, municipalities, and businesses in Connecticut can contact SolarCity directly at 1-888-SOL-CITY (1-888-765-2489) for a free, no-obligation solar consultation or visit SolarCity online at: www.solarcity.com/request.