All power collected will be returned to the grid with an emphasis on sharing solar credit to those who cannot invest in solar panels themselves. We expect to receive about $7,000 yearly in revenue. – The Rev. Julie Carson, St. Andrew’s Episcopal, Framingham, MA
St. Andrew’s Episcopal in Framingham, MA, has plans to install a solar canopy over its parking lot.
We asked the Rev. Julie Carson for further information and received this reply by email:
A solar canopy is a roof structure that is usually installed over parking areas. Plankton Energy will be our tenant and they are renting space by the square foot for their solar panels.
All power collected will be returned to the grid with an emphasis on sharing solar credit to those who cannot invest in solar panels themselves. We expect to receive about $7,000 yearly in revenue, plus we may save a little on our snow plowing expenses now that the parking area is covered.
This is our second solar array. We already have 168 panels on our roof and we sell our excess net metering credit to area churches.
We install our systems at zero cost to our customers. As the long-term owner of the system, we always install the highest quality Tier 1 equipment with 20+ year warranties.
Once our systems are operating, our customers simply sit back and enjoy the benefits of running on clean energy. All ongoing operations and maintenance are covered by Plankton.
The design of the canopy took into account the concerns of neighbors:
The Maple Street church said it met frequently with neighbors to discuss the canopy project and worked to address their concerns.
Reverend Julie Carson said she hoped that the new landscape would give the front of the canopy “better coverage,” as well as give residents of Maple Street a “prettier view when they look outside their doors toward the church.”
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“The church has never looked as good as this with the new landscaping that is being proposed,” [resident] Hopper said. “We know it took some time to get here, but we’re happy with what we see now.”
Image: Plankton Energy, artist’s rendering.