REPRESENTATIVES FROM the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (WMGLD) and members of the Environmental Sustainability Committee were at the recent informational session to answer questions and provide information about the Kenneth Chase Community Solar Program. (From left to right) WMGLD Commissioner Sharon Daly, Finance and Customer Service Manager Mark Cousins, Business Analyst – Energy Services and session presenter Joe Collins, Wakefield Town Councilor Julie Smith-Galvin, General Manager and presenter Pete Dion, Commissioner Tom Boettcher, Commissioner Jennifer Kallay, Wakefield Environmental Sustainability Committee Chair Melissa Eusden, and Wakefield Town Council Vice Chair Michael McLane.

Additional Zoom webinar tomorrow

WAKEFIELD – Dozens of local residents attended the recent informational session at the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library to learn about the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department’s Kenneth Chase Community Solar Program.

Named for longtime WMGLD Commissioner Kenneth Chase, who retired from the Board in 2021 after 42 years of service, the community solar project is part of a 225KWdc solar array currently under construction on the roof of the WMGLD facility at 480 North Ave., one half of which will help power the WMGLD headquarters, while the other half will be available to WMGLD customers as part of the community solar program.

 WMGLD Manager Pete Dion and Business Analyst–Energy Services Joe Collins conducted the session which began with a video presentation that enabled the attendees to see the project under construction and to learn more about its technical aspects. Following the video, Collins explained how community solar programs work and how the WMGLD program will be structured. The WMGLD will maintain the rights to the community solar array, with participating customers paying a membership fee to receive monthly solar production credits based on their membership percentage of the total array.

WMGLD customers who choose to participate will pay the one-time, upfront membership fee of $75, followed by a monthly fee of $11 per kW. Participating customers will receive a credit on their bill each month based on how many Kwh are produced by the customer’s share of the community solar, calculated at 85% of the current WMGLD energy charge per Kwh produced. Community solar will be available to customers in 1KWdc segments and customers may be able to request up to 5KWdc, depending on the interest in the project. 

The WMGLD program includes a low-income carve out for customers who qualify for, or currently participate in, state assistance programs such as LIHEAP. Twenty-five percent of the array will be reserved for low-income customers, with the $75 membership fee waived for qualifying customers, and the monthly fee for KW reduced to $10.50 per KW owned. 

The Kenneth Chase Community Solar Program will allow WMGLD customers to have access to green energy without making a large capital investment, while assisting the WMGLD in meeting its decarbonization goals and the state’s Net Zero 2050 goal.

“We are happy that so many residents attended the session to learn about community solar and to hear more about the Kenneth Chase Community Solar Program,” General Manager Dion said. “This is a great pilot program that will potentially lead to future projects.”

WMGLD customers can sign up for the Kenneth Chase Community Solar Program until March 1st on the website https://wmgld.com, by contacting the WMGLD at communitysolar@wmgld.com, or by calling 781-246-6363. Both the community solar program and the WMGLD portion of the 225KWdc solar array are expected to go live in the spring.

Due to the interest in the program, the WMGLD will hold an informational webinar on the Kenneth Chase Community Solar Program via Zoom platform this Thursday, February 8, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Interested customers can register for the webinar  at http://tinyurl.com/43ud4urp.

The in-person informational session is also available for viewing at https://wmgld.com or at scheduled times in the near future on Wakefield Community Access Television (WCAT).