Sun Day, September 21, is a national day of celebration and support for clean energy. As Green Needham investigated the extent of local solar arrays, we quickly realized that we have much to celebrate in Needham! Come see our display on the First Parish lawn (23 Dedham Ave. in Needham Center) this Sunday, September 21. We will have 18 signs highlighting solar success stories in our town.
Our display is a story of achievement and hope for further progress. In 2012, rooftop solar arrays were few and far between in Needham. (There were only 30.) Today, thirteen years later, there are over 850 solar installations in town. Helping this transition were two successful Solarize Needham campaigns in 2014 and 2019, both assisted by Green Needham.
The Town of Needham has participated in important projects. The capped landfill at the Recycling and Transfer Station (RTS) is covered by more than 11,000 solar modules, which produce between 3 and 4 million kilowatt hours of clean energy every year. This is the equivalent of about 25% of the electricity used by all Town facilities in a year. Green Needham initiated the effort which resulted in the Town facilitating this impressive array, which was put into service in 2016 and is saving the Town millions of dollars. To see the project’s energy production by year, month and day, see the “Powerguide” website featuring this data.
The Sunita Williams School, which opened in 2019, has an array of 425 solar panels which produce 25% of the school’s electrical use. To date it has produced 779,000 kWh of electricity, avoiding 467 tons of CO2 emissions.
The religious community in Needham has enthusiastically embraced solar power. Six houses of worship have rooftop solar. (Carter Memorial United Methodist Church, Christ Episcopal Church of Needham, the Congregational Church of Needham, First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Temple Aliyah, and Temple Beth Shalom). Click here for more details about the projects.
Businesses are also taking advantage of solar. Volante Farms installed 51 solar panels in 2019, the Needham Channel installed its array in 2015, the VFW covers all its electricity usage with solar panels, and several commercial buildings in the business district have solar arrays.
Counterbalancing this good news is the fact that the 30% federal tax credit for solar installations will expire on December 31, 2025 for residential systems, ended by the US Congress nearly a decade ahead of schedule. However, in Massachusetts, a combination of high electric rates and continuing state incentives mean that solar panels, even without the federal incentive, are still a smart financial decision and of course bring important environmental benefits. Please go to our solar page for more information.
