A “sizable” solar panel array is coming to a capped landfill in Barrington. 

At a meeting on Tuesday, June 30, members of the Barrington Town Council voted unanimously in favor of the project. It will be located on a capped landfill near the DPW headquarters on Upland Way. 

The 4-0 vote authorized the town to finance the solar installation “in an amount not to exceed $1.85 million.” The council also approved a $128,520 expenditure for a downpayment on the project. 

Town officials said a vote by taxpayers was not required to approve the funding. Assistant town solicitor Amy Goins said there is a special statute that applies to projects like this solar array, where the municipality is expected to earn revenue through the project. 

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey, in a message to the Barrington Times, cited the statute 46-12.2-12.1.

“It’s called an ‘appropriation obligation,’” Hervey wrote. “The town did something very similar in 2016 to finance the acquisition of streetlights and conversion to LED, and energy efficiency projects — with the annual savings greater than the financing costs.”

Barrington is signing a contract with Solect, a Massachusetts-based solar company. Solect will handle the installation and maintenance of the array, which is expected to generate more than $1 million in revenue over the life of the project. The town will sell electricity back to the grid at a set price; the panels will not directly power any town buildings, although that option was explored. Officials said the DPW headquarters located near the capped landfill would not require the amount of electricity that will be produced by the array. 

The project is targeting state and federal renewable energy incentives; a federal incentive was expected to expire before the Fourth of July holiday, officials earlier reported. 

Solect representative Jeff Steele attended the June 30 council meeting. He said the preliminary work required for the project would take 12 to 16 months, and installation and construction and permission to operate runs an additional three to four months. Council member Liana Cassar said that assuming this project follows that timeline, the solar panel array will be operational by the summer of 2028. 

That’s more than possible, Steele said. 

Cassar also asked about the life expectancy of the panels. Steele said the panels last 25 to 30 years. He said most panels have 25- to 30-year warranties. He also referenced studies that showed some solar panels performed at 80 to 85 percent of their initial capacity at 35 years old. Steele also pointed to the maintenance agreement: Solect services the array for 20 years and is liable for anything they did through the installation. 

Steele said Solect retains about half the projects they install for communities. He said some installations are owned by the municipalities. 

The location of the installation — atop an old town dump behind the DPW — requires that the solar array not puncture the ground. Steele said the array would be ballasted. He said most of the ground mount solar arrays built by Solect are in Massachusetts; much of Solent’s Rhode Island-based work is in rooftop installations. 

Cassar asked what types of concerns and questions municipalities are sharing with Solect during the first five years of a project. Steele said the ground mounts are generally out of the way and that if anything was to fail, Solect would replace it. 

Public comments

Members of the Barrington Resilience and Energy Committee filled seats in the first few rows of the council chambers at the June 30 meeting. When given the opportunity to comment, committee members highlighted the project’s benefits. 

Michael Kadish, the chairman of the committee, said he understands that people are cautious about spending money but this is not an expense, rather it is a revenue generator. He said Barrington is not financing an expenditure, it is financing a revenue-maker. 

Kadish also referenced the location of the array. Former council member Kate Berard earlier suggested that the town consider expanding the array into the nearby Robert Gourley Memorial Field, which is used for track and field events. Berard suggested that another space could be found for the weight throwers. The local athletic community offered a loud rebuke to Berard’s proposal. Kadish, at the June 30 meeting, said he appreciates the athletic community and that the solar array will stay within the initial location and not impact the track and field space. 

Kadish also said the timing of the project matters, referencing the incentives. He said solar aligns with the town’s climate action plan. 

Sarah O’Brien said she is a big believer in solar power and has panels at her home in town. O’Brien said she wished the installation could have been done off the ground. 

I am not sure why we’re filling one of the town’s open spaces with the array, O’Brien said. 

She added that Barrington could have installed arrays on canopies over parking lots or atop shade structures along the perimeters of playing fields. She asked officials to consider rooftop installations in the future. 

Tom Rimoshytus mentioned a similar concern. He questioned why the town was taking an open green space and putting “an eyesore” on it. He said the town council pushed hard against synthetic turf fields in town, but this project will put a lot of plastic on an open space. Rimoshytus asked councilors what made them change their minds.

He also asked why the council was not fighting back against the clear-cutting of forest land for solar panel fields. 

Can you tell me that solar panels don’t create more heat that goes back into the atmosphere? Rimoshytus asked. 

He said taxpayers recently voted against a bigger tax increase, “and here we are spending $2 million more.”

Kim Cobb, a member of the Barrington Resilience and Energy Committee, called the project a “win, win win” — a win for climate action in town, a win for revenue, and a win for educating the next generation. 

Lynne Carter, also a member of the Barrington Resilience and Energy Committee, said the project will generate revenue without raising property taxes. She said the project is also on a landfill, and there is not much people can do there. 

Last word

Council members and Steele offered responses to some of the points shared during the public comment portion of the discussion. Steele said people should not look at the solar panel array as plastic but instead think of the generated power it will produce. He said this array will result in 454,000 pounds of CO2 being avoided. 

Cassar called the project a great starting point. She spoke about rooftop and parking lot cover installations. 

“This is a really fantastic opportunity,” she said. 

Cassar then asked for confirmation that the project did not need to go to voters. Solicitor Goins confirmed that point, adding that the town would not be going out for a general obligation bond. Cassar also confirmed that the town was not taking down any trees as part of the project. Cassar also said the project was “shovel-ready” although Solect will not be using any shovels, she joked.

Councilor Jordan Jancosek shared kudos with the Barrington Resilience and Energy Committee, adding that it had been working on this for years. She then made a motion to approve a resolution authorizing the project. Cassar seconded the motion, which passed 4-0. That vote spurred a mini-celebration by members of the Barrington Resilience and Energy Committee.