Chelmsford to recieve state grant money for solar panels at Parker Middle School

By Chloe Gotsis/ Staff Writer

GateHouse News Service

Posted Jul 16, 2010 @ 09:39 AM

Chelmsford —

Students at the Parker Middle School will soon be the recipients of green friendly energy from a 30 kw solar panel system planned for its roof.

Town Manager Paul Cohen said the Green Communities Division of the state Department of Energy Resources notified him this week that the town is receiving a $187,224 grant to fund solar panels at the Parker Middle Schools.

“The Division reviewed the Town of Chelmsford’s grant application and has determined that the proposed activity/activities meet the eligibility requirements of the Green Communities Act and are viable, well developed projects,” read the letter DOER sent to Cohen. “…The Green Communities Division looks forward to working with the Town of Chelmsford on your grant project.”

The grant is part of the $8.1 million in grant funding Chelmsford is now eligible for since it received Green Community status from the state in May.

The Green Communities program evolved from the Green Communities Act of 2008, intended to encourage towns to move toward clean energy by meeting five guidelines: Adopting zoning bylaws for renewable energy facilities, creating an expedited permitting process for those facilities establishing energy use benchmarks and a plan to reduce it by 20 percent, purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles and adopting the Stretch Energy Code for new buildings.

Chelmsford Town Meeting adopted the Stretch Code in April and the town’s zoning requirements already complied.

According to the letter, the regional Green Communities regional coordinator will be contacting the town for the next steps including developing a scheduling plan for the project.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/chelmsford/newsnow/x1814120220/Chelmsford-to-recieve-state-grant-money-for-solar-panels-at-Parker-Middle-School