The first commercial ground-mounted solar farm in Charlton, installed by OMA Group LLC of Southbridge, is now operational and feeding electricity into the grid.
Douglas E. Monson and David D. Lee became partners in 1994 when they established the commercial recycling company Industrial Dismantling Corp. in Southbridge.
The Charlton residents formed OMA Group in 2000 when they purchased 9 acres at 157 Old Worcester Road (Route 20) with a plan to one day build a facility that would become their headquarters.
But the plan changed.
Today, half the land holds about 3,500 solar panels that are expected to generate 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, or enough to power 200 homes for a year.
“We were in the right place at the right time for solar. We’ve been in the recycling industry since its infancy and this is another green aspect,” Mr. Lee said.
Mr. Monson is a long-time proponent of solar energy, which he uses at home to heat water. A friend involved in a commercial solar project a few years ago provided the nudge that broadened his solar spectrum.
The initial plan for a rooftop array on the Industrial Dismantling building was scrapped when the snowstorms of 2010 led to an epidemic of roof collapses.
“After that I decided I didn’t want it on the roof but thought, why not on the ground?” Mr. Monson said. “We went to the land in Charlton and they (the contractor) brought the sundial and they said wow, this is a good site.”
A year-long process to build the $4.4 million solar farm began.
“We started in the recycling industry in the ’80s and people said it was stupid. It was the same situation with solar,” Mr. Monson said. “Because we are in the forefront, it was not easy to secure financing. We found Hometown Bank the most friendly and willing to think outside the box.”
Last spring they hired SolarFlair Energy Inc. to construct a 1-megawatt solar array. National Grid crews connected the site with its three-phase line on Route 20, bringing the farm to light on July 24.
The electricity generated will earn OMA Group net metering credits that are used like cash to pay National Grid electricity bills.
Mr. Monson said some of the credits earned will be used toward electricity costs in their Southbridge businesses, and the remainder will be sold to others.
As for the farm’s projected revenue, Mr. Monson said it’s too early to predict but the forecast is favorable.
“At the end of the day, we’re just working guys who are trying to provide a good life for our family and do what’s right for the environment and community,” Mr. Monson said.
OMA received site plan approval from the Charlton Planning Board last fall.
“It was well-designed and I thought SolarFlair did a very good job in terms of implementing the site plan,” Town Planner Alan I. Gordon said.
Charlton Building Commissioner Curtis J. Meskus said the only bump in the road on this first installation was some objection to the $20,622 permitting fee.
“Different towns approach it different ways and there was some discussion with SolarFlair about the costs,” he said.
The permit fee in Charlton is $5 per $1,000 of construction cost, which, Mr. Meskus said, was $4.1 million.
Source: http://www.telegram.com/article/20120805/NEWS/108059974/1002/BUSINESS
| Douglas E. Monson, left, and David D. Lee. owners of Industrial Dismantling Corp. in Southbridge, formed OMA Group LLC in 2000 to develop a 9-acre site at 157 Old Worcester Road (Route 20) in Charlton |
Douglas E. Monson and David D. Lee became partners in 1994 when they established the commercial recycling company Industrial Dismantling Corp. in Southbridge.
The Charlton residents formed OMA Group in 2000 when they purchased 9 acres at 157 Old Worcester Road (Route 20) with a plan to one day build a facility that would become their headquarters.
But the plan changed.
Today, half the land holds about 3,500 solar panels that are expected to generate 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, or enough to power 200 homes for a year.
“We were in the right place at the right time for solar. We’ve been in the recycling industry since its infancy and this is another green aspect,” Mr. Lee said.
Mr. Monson is a long-time proponent of solar energy, which he uses at home to heat water. A friend involved in a commercial solar project a few years ago provided the nudge that broadened his solar spectrum.
The initial plan for a rooftop array on the Industrial Dismantling building was scrapped when the snowstorms of 2010 led to an epidemic of roof collapses.
“After that I decided I didn’t want it on the roof but thought, why not on the ground?” Mr. Monson said. “We went to the land in Charlton and they (the contractor) brought the sundial and they said wow, this is a good site.”
A year-long process to build the $4.4 million solar farm began.
“We started in the recycling industry in the ’80s and people said it was stupid. It was the same situation with solar,” Mr. Monson said. “Because we are in the forefront, it was not easy to secure financing. We found Hometown Bank the most friendly and willing to think outside the box.”
Last spring they hired SolarFlair Energy Inc. to construct a 1-megawatt solar array. National Grid crews connected the site with its three-phase line on Route 20, bringing the farm to light on July 24.
The electricity generated will earn OMA Group net metering credits that are used like cash to pay National Grid electricity bills.
Mr. Monson said some of the credits earned will be used toward electricity costs in their Southbridge businesses, and the remainder will be sold to others.
As for the farm’s projected revenue, Mr. Monson said it’s too early to predict but the forecast is favorable.
“At the end of the day, we’re just working guys who are trying to provide a good life for our family and do what’s right for the environment and community,” Mr. Monson said.
OMA received site plan approval from the Charlton Planning Board last fall.
“It was well-designed and I thought SolarFlair did a very good job in terms of implementing the site plan,” Town Planner Alan I. Gordon said.
Charlton Building Commissioner Curtis J. Meskus said the only bump in the road on this first installation was some objection to the $20,622 permitting fee.
“Different towns approach it different ways and there was some discussion with SolarFlair about the costs,” he said.
The permit fee in Charlton is $5 per $1,000 of construction cost, which, Mr. Meskus said, was $4.1 million.
Source: http://www.telegram.com/article/20120805/NEWS/108059974/1002/BUSINESS
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