Solar array project could get underway in spring

LACONIA — Construction of a solar park large enough to supply power to about 450 homes could begin in the spring, according to a city official.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment last week granted a six-month extension to the project which would be built atop a decommissioned city landfill off Route 11B, about two miles north of Laconia Municipal Airport.

The 2.9 megawatt solar array would create a new source of revenue for the city to support the environmental work needed to close the landfill site and provide revenue to incorporate a bond to cap it in the future.

The 59-acre site is located off Sterling Drive in the area of 614 Endicott St. E.(Route 11B).

New England Solar Garden President Clarke Fenner told the board the company has obtained all the permits that it needs to begin the project, but noted that it is still working with electric utility Eversource on finalizing where the project would tap into Eversource’s power lines. He said there might be some delay while the interconnect point is resolved, but that that would not “shut down” the project, according to the draft minutes of the Dec. 20 meeting.

Fenner further told the board the new legislation regarding the allowed megawatts signed into law earlier this year made the project viable.

The bill raised the limit for municipalities on what’s known as net metering, allowing communities to now generate up to five megawatts of their own power, typically with solar and hydro, in order to lower their energy costs and pass savings on to residents. The previous cap was one megawatt, which is still in place for businesses and residents.

About 150 homes could be powered by one megawatt, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Under the plan, the city would receive a $36,000 annual lease payment and a $13,440 annual payment in lieu of taxes, while realizing $60,000 in annual energy savings, assuming city government facilities, including schools, could consume all the power from the solar arrays.

Portsmouth-based New England Solar Garden is seeking a 20-year lease with two five-year extensions.

The project was initially approved by the ZBA and the Planning Board in 2019, but construction has been delayed due to ongoing negotiations between the developer and various entities. In the ensuing months the Planning Board had granted the project one-year extensions, and the ZBA a series of six-month extensions, according to city Planning Director Dean Trefethen.

Now that most outstanding issues have been resolved, actual work on the project is expected to start in April or May, Trefethen said.

Because of the lay of the land at the former landfill, the solar array should not be visible from the road, or from the homes on Sterling Drive, a residential street north of the site, according to the developer. Landscaping and fencing have been included in the plan to protect sight lines.

When the project was first proposed two years ago local residents expressed support for the project, but asked that care be taken that construction vehicles not tear up the road.

Editor's note: A photo previously accompanying this story was removed as it depicted a project completed by a different company than the one proposing the Laconia project.