The Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC) has completed construction of its second photovoltaic initiative, totaling almost 12 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, according to a recent press release. G&S Solar Installers of New York has led the construction on the round-two projects since early 2014, with Fischbach & Moore of Boston performing the electrical work.
The projects are located in West Tisbury, Barnstable, Bourne, Chatham, Orleans, Providence, the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District, and Barnstable Fire District. To date, 4 of the 17 completed projects have been interconnected by NSTAR. The remaining 13 are expected to be online by mid-October.
American Capital Energy of Lowell completed construction of CVEC’s first photovoltaic initiative in July 2014 in conjunction with its financing partner Clean Focus Corporation. Tisbury and Edgartown were two of seven CVEC member towns in which the first round of eight solar projects were built. To date, NSTAR has interconnected and brought five of the projects online.
With the completion of round two, the total photovoltaic energy installed by CVEC will have reached over 28 MW of photovoltaic energy since 2010, enough to offset close to 89 percent electric usage of the participating towns and districts. The anticipated reduction in electrical expenses for the host municipalities and fire and school districts is about 60 percent, according to a CVEC press release.
CVEC was founded by and receives funds from the Cape Light Compact, a public regional energy services organization operated by the 21 towns and two counties on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. As an electric cooperative, CVEC is empowered by state statute to develop and own renewable energy electric generation facilities and enter into long-term power purchase agreements.