As reported previously, the Town has entered into a 20-year agreement with Verogy, a West Hartford renewable energy company, to lease 5.8 acres of Suffield landfill property for a solar farm. The array is located on land adjacent to the existing landfill collection containers and building, down the hill, traveling west on Mountain Road.
Verogy has the option to extend the agreement for three additional five-year terms. They will pay Suffield $65,000 annually as a lease payment and sell the energy to Eversource, keeping the profits.
Recently, I emailed Verogy for an update. Their head of marketing and public relations, Jenna Dobbins, replied to my questions.
She said the installation of just over 2,500 solar panels should be completed this summer. The panels will generate enough electricity to power about 159 homes annually.
Dobbins said Veogy cut down a number of trees to clear the area, grinding most into wood chips and mulch, which they spread over the areas outside the array footprint to stabilize the ground.
She said the closest the array will come to Mountain Road is about 140’ away. To hide the solar farm from neighbors living across the street, Verogy will install a solid wooden stockade fence and plant mountain laurel in front of it. They will also plant a “pollinator-friendly habitat seed mix” around the solar panels. The firm will be responsible for mowing the grass and maintaining the panels.
To guard against potential safety issues, such as high-intensity storms or fire hazards, the firm can turn off the array at the site or remotely.
Photo by Tony Peterson
The Verogy company’s 2,500-panel solar array on town landfill property will generate $1.3 million in revenue for Suffield over 20 years. The town can earn more if it exercises lease extensions with Verogy.