The town of Sterling is gaining national and international recognition, praise, and admiration for the Sterling Municipal Light Department’s energy storage initiatives that have catapulted the town into a solid position as an energy storage leader and herald for the future of the energy industry. Energy experts from over a dozen countries from as far afield as Brazil and Japan are flocking to study the solar and storage project. The solar project is located on the LKQ building roof and the battery storage project is housed in a container at the power substation on Chocksett Road. It took two months, beginning on January 24, to set up at a cost of $2.5 million, and has already pared $500,000 off of the town’s annual energy bill, a savings that is passed onto Sterling’s ratepayers.
“It’s all about the ratepayers,” says SMLD General Manager Sean Hamilton. “Our mission is to deliver the best possible service at the best possible cost to our ratepayers.”
The development of this project had no negative environmental impact. It utilized the rooftop of the LKQ building on Chocksett Road and was formed in partnership with Origis Energy and RockBreakers LL, and enables local residents to share in and benefit from solar power produced here in Sterling, by giving residents the opportunity to get up to 25 percent of their energy needs from solar.
This is the first community solar and energy storage project in Massachusetts. The system combines a 1 MWAC rooftop solar installation with a 1 MW / 2 MW hours energy storage system to deliver dispatchable clean energy to Sterling’s residential ratepayers.
What does that mean for Sterling ratepayers? It means that energy is stored up for use during peak periods or emergencies, which means that power for homes, businesses, and emergency services is available at these times when power supply is severely compromised.
Sterling is unique in that not many Massachusetts communities are powered by their own power companies rather than investor-owned utilities. The advantages are many, including reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement. Collection and analysis of reliability data, commitment to safety in all aspects of operations, opportunities for staff to network with public power colleagues from across the country, and ongoing research and development projects are among the features that make SMLD unique, successful, and beneficial to the town.
The American Public Power Association has recognized SMLD for a perfect safety record for the sixth consecutive year, awarding them the system achievement award in June. SMLD also received the Diamond RP3 certification from APPA in March. In addition, rebates, tax incentives, and off-peak charging rates are available for the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf, and the ACH Program gives customers an automated opportunity to receive discounts on their bills.
Although a small municipal light department, SMLD has made enormous progress over the past few years, including reducing full time staff from 19 in 2010 to 12 today. Rates have been lowered by an average of 25 percent over the past few years, and they continue to seek ways to improve services to ratepayers.
In addition, SMLD has completed a full change out of 496 streetlights in Sterling to LED, lowering the cost to the town from $36,000 in 2010 to $22,000 in 2018.
Hamilton credits the SMLD Board of Commissioners and employees who have been very supportive of these projects, and have worked hard to help bring them to fruition.
SMLD is offering residential customers an opportunity to enroll in their Community Solar Program, designed to enable residential customers to receive up to 25 percent of solar generation applied to their bill each month at a rate of .0820 kWh, locked in for 25 years.
Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis, through December 31, 2018. Early enrollment is encouraged. Should a Solar Rate customer move to another location in Sterling, the rate will be transferred to the new residence.
To enroll in the Community Solar Program, fill out an application online at energysterling.com, or visit the SMLD office at 50 Main St., Sterling. For more information, or to arrange a tour of the solar energy facility, call 978-422-8267.