Facility related electric costs - Facts and figures

If Hopkinton were to participate in a power purchase agreement through the Commonwalth Solar initiative of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, we could build a solar installation that would normally cost over $2Million at no cost to the town.

In lieu of paying bills to the utility for that portion of energy produced, Hopkinton would instead pay similar amounts - but at a locked in rate of increase of only 3% each year, instead of actual increases in current energy bills in the double digits (this year's NStar rates were 22% higher than last year) -- to a the third party solar company who would install and maintain the system on the roofs of municipal buildings through a contract agreement.

After 20 years, we would fully own the system and all power generated from it, saving the town hundreds of thousands of dollars each year at that time.

Potential overall capacity: 416,242 KWH/year across all 4 bldgs

• The High School and Middle School would account for 87.1% of the system production (362,547 KWH/year)
• The Fire Station and Police Station would account for 12.9% of the annual production (53,695 KWH/year).
• The total production of the systems would offset 11% of ALL the schools electricity or 14% of ALL the town buildings electricity, including the well pumps.
• Cost of building such an installation without this program would be over $2Million.

Total facilities electric usage in 2007:

• Hopkinton spent close to $1M on facilities related electric in 2007
• School's approx. 3.6 Million KWH / $500,000
• Non-school town facilities approx. 3.0 Million KWH / $400,000