A dedication ceremony was held today in North Haven, Conn., to celebrate the installation of a 4-kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system at North Haven High School. The Town earned this system through the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program, an initiative of the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF). The 4-kW solar PV system, which is valued at approximately $20,000, was installed by Alteris Renewables.
At the dedication ceremony, remarks were made by representatives from the Town of North Haven, North Haven High School and CCEF.
North Haven First Selectman Michael J. Freda said, “I am very pleased with the efforts of our North Haven Clean Energy Task Force. Their efforts have made a very positive impact in the achievement of securing these solar panels for North Haven. On behalf of the Town of North Haven, we extend our appreciation for all of their hard work and dedication to such a worthwhile cause.”
The North Haven Clean Energy Task Force and Project Green, North Haven High School’s student environmental group, played a key role in helping the Town earn the solar array at North Haven High School. Both groups promoted the benefits of clean energy and secured CTCleanEnergyOptionsSM enrollments at a variety of community events and sites. The task force continues to make progress in securing signups monthly at the recycling center and, in partnership with Project Green, landed approximately 85 signups at voter polling sites on Election Day last November.
Additionally, the task force persuaded the Town to commit to the EPA Community Energy Challenge, guided the Town to meet its 20 percent clean energy by 2010 goal last fall and sponsored two public forums on solar energy and energy efficiency, which attracted large audiences.
“The North Haven Clean Energy Task Force is thrilled that, with invaluable assistance from the Project Green students and support by Town officials, these solar panels have been installed on the high school,” said Hugh Davis, task force chairman. “The solar panels stand as a powerful symbol of the need to turn increasingly to clean, renewable energy sources for electricity and other uses. We hope that this auspicious development will persuade many more North Haven residents to support the clean energy cause by signing up for CTCleanEnergyOptions.”
As of December 31, 2010, North Haven had earned a total of 392 clean energy points from CCEF. North Haven earned one point for each of the 338 customers enrolled in the CTCleanEnergyOptions program and three points for each of the 18 clean energy installations in town. North Haven’s clean energy points have earned the Town a total of 4 kW in clean energy systems to date from CCEF. In 2010, the town was among the top five communities in the state for increases in clean energy signups.
The Town can earn points toward additional earned kilowatts by garnering more clean energy signups or having more local businesses and households install clean energy systems, such as solar PV, solar thermal or geothermal.
Looking to the future, North Haven hopes to strengthen its commitment to clean energy. The Clean Energy Task Force will be making a concerted effort to reach out to the local business community and encourage more businesses to embrace clean energy through CTCleanEnergyOptions signups or on-site clean energy installations. To that end, later this spring the task force will host an informational forum for North Haven businesses. Additionally, the task force will be meeting with representatives from neighboring towns in an effort to share clean energy lessons learned and discuss relevant issues. Further, the task force hopes to increase the size of the solar PV system installed at North Haven High School by earning additional solar panels from CCEF and/or accessing grant resources.
North Haven became a Connecticut Clean Energy Community in 2009. It is one of 53 Connecticut Clean Energy Communities statewide that, collectively, have earned 303 kilowatts of solar PV systems from CCEF. For more information about these and other Connecticut communities, visit the Program Progress Reports page on CCEF’s Web site or the general Communities section,www.ctcleanenergy.com/communities.
“This system was made possible through the tireless work of the task force in North Haven, the commitment to clean energy from local businesses and residents who installed on-site systems, and the diligent efforts put forth by the Project Green students to promote the CTCleanEnergyOptions program,” said CCEF Project Associate Jillian Carbone. “The North Haven High School serves as an excellent host to showcase the earned system—one that generation after generation will be able to look to as a source of educational value.”
