Roughly a year after they were first installed, the town of Clay is seeing a return on the solar panels outside the town hall. The town’s electric bills show a reduction of more than 44 percent from April 2014 to April 2015.
The 99kW solar array, which was installed by Warner Energy behind the Clay Town Hall last April, has exceeded Supervisor Damian Ulatowski’s predictions for savings.
“We’re looking at about $1,200 to $1,800 a month in energy savings,” Ulatowski told the Star-Review in 2014.
The town of Clay recently provided the Star-Review with copies of its National Grid bills for the periods of April 4 through May 7, 2014, and April 7 through May 6, 2015. For the April-May 2014 period, the town hall and highway department racked up $7,896.87 in electricity costs. For the same period in 2015, the bills totaled $4,396.98 — a 44.32 percent decrease.
“I’m very, very pleased,” Ulatowski said of the savings the 396 high-efficiency solar panels have brought to the town.
The solar array was made possible by a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant and a 20-year power purchase agreement with Warner Energy, which will maintain the solar panels. No local tax dollars were used to fund the project.
“The only thing I’ll do differently this year is I’ll clean the snow off the panels,” Ulatowski said.
While snow melts and slides off solar panels during the average winter, this past year’s brutally cold weather and heavy snow accumulation kept the panels from absorbing as much light as they could have.
Ulatowski said he didn’t let Central New York’s gloomy winters deter him from pursuing solar power for the town.
“If we get a bright, cold day, it’s actually more efficient than a hot day,” he said. “It’s the northeastern part of the country that’s embracing [solar power] with leaps and bounds. It can work.”
As for what’s next, Ulatowski said he is in the initial planning stages of a new solar project for the town of Clay, but he can’t share details just yet. He said it could save taxpayers a substantial amount of money.
“I’m excited,” he added.
