An array of solar panels was recently installed on the roof of Chatham’s Town Garage. The panels will deliver over 52 kilowatts of electricity to Chatham’s municipal buildings, saving the town $5600 annually at today’s electricity prices, with more savings as those prices increase. The panels were installed by Plug PV, at a total cost of $126,000. Chatham’s Climate Smart Committee contributed over $82,000 of the total from grant funds earned through the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities (CEC) Program. Since 2016, the all-volunteer Climate Smart Committee has been awarded a total of $110,000 in grant funding across multiple completed High Impact Actions (HIAs). The program is structured so communities earn points for completing sustainability projects, or High Impact Actions, and those points translate into matchfree grants. Sample projects in Chatham included installing clean energy upgrades such as LED lighting at Town Hall, a cordwood boiler at the Town garage, and conducting community information and engagement campaigns about heat pumps, electric vehicles, and solar energy.

The Town of Chatham contributed the remaining $44,000 towards the panels, of which 30%, or $13,200, will be be recouped as a term rebate.

Once the panels are fully operational in March they are expected to generate over 52 kilowatts of clean energy, which represents a greenhouse gas reduction of approximately 7.2 metric tons of CO₂ per year. While Chatham’s Town Hall will soon have its own solar panels, the recently installed Town garage panels will provide electricity for the Town Garage, Percy Hill, Crellin Park, and the town’s EV charger.