Innovator

State officials and alternative energy advocates and contractors clustered on a windswept mountaintop Thursday to dedicate a project 13 years in the making that will double the state's wind energy output.
The Berkshire Wind Power Project of 10 GE wind-turbines along the Taconic ridgeline between Routes 7 and 43 will generate enough energy to power 6,000 homes.
It's a long way from the single coal stove that heated the family farm decades ago, said Meredith Cochran, who owns part of the land on which the wind turbines were built.
"All the way from 19th-century charcoal to 21st-century wind, the farm still remains an income- producing farm," said Cochran, as the turbine on the highest point on Brodie Mountain swung more than 200 feet above her. She spoke of her parents' commitment to the environment and the organic practices she and her husband had continued. "My parents would have loved it, utilizing new technologies with an existing resource — wind. New products to support the farm and help diminish our country's dependency on corporate energy sources."
The project began in 1998 as a private venture but moved in fits and starts as it was bogged down by funding problems and appeals by environmentalists; the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co., a public utility serving municipal utilities in 14 towns and cities, bought the assets in 2008. After a eight-month setback because of a federal lawsuit by adjoining Silverleaf Resorts Inc., which is building condominiums on the former Brodie ski area, the newly created Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corp. issued a $65 million bond in 2010 to complete the 15 megawatt project. 
Only one turbine was spinning on Thursday but the other nine are expected to come online by the end of the month, inching the state closer to Gov. Deval Patrick's goal of 2,000 megawatts of wind and 150 Mw of solar energy being produced in the state. Brodie is considered a prime inland location for wind power, rating 6 on a scale of 7 with a 40 percent capacity.
"I'm excited about this project; I'm excited about what it portends for the future," said Patrick, who spoke during an oddly calm break in the blustery air. "There are opportunities here for us to show a whole new level of environmental stewardship, opportunities here for us to generate our own power and to free ourselves not just from the dependence on foreign oil and gas but from the price spikes that are an inherent part of that market."
Richard K. Sullivan, secretary of Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said the state spends more than $20 billion every year in energy and 80 percent, or $18 billion, not only goes outside the state, it goes outside the country. Projects such as Berkshire Wind are creating a home-grown market for energy needs, he said, adding that Patrick was the only governor with "the vision to put energy and environment in the same secretariat, understanding that good clean energy decisions were also good environmental decisions." 
Later, Patrick reiterated a point made by Sullivan on the 65 percent in job growth in green energy over the last few years. "Because we have made a point of cultivating that industry and it's an industry that makes a lot of sense in Massachusetts because of the concentration of brainpower and our tradition of innovation and invention," he said. "It builds on technology and technicial capability that we have here right now."
Berkshire Wind is currently the largest completed wind project. Two others, both private, have also been years in development and have had difficulty overcoming zoning, permitting, appeals and lawsuits. The Minuteman Project is at a standstill over wetlands permitting and buyers for its power; Hoosac Wind in Florida and Monroe has begun construction after seven years and, when completed, will be double the size of Berkshire Wind.
Patrick said it was important to pass a wind power siting bill currently in the Legislature. "We need the wind siting bill ... you know they said this project is 13 years in the making. It shouldn't take 13 years — that adds to costs. It means we are that much longer in breaking ourselves of dependency on oil and gas and we need alternatives," he said. "We can have wind siting reform that respects local interests and local control and that's what we're trying to get."
Cochran, whose family was battered by lawsuits and calls for boycotts of their Christmas tree farm, said landowners should have a "predictable and reasonable number of permitting and hoops and hurdles." 
The towns of Lanesborough and Hancock were very supportive of the project, said Ronald C. DeCurzio, chief executive officer of MMWEC, but added that being a public concern had advantages in permitting and pushing through projects of this nature. 
"Public power does have the ability to act quickly, to get financing quickly, and they are on the forefront of reducing our carbon footprint," he said. Two of the participating municipalities, Hull and Leverett, began pursuing wind power as early as 1985.  
Sullivan asked Lanesborough and Hancock to continue to lead the way by showing renewable energy "can be developed safely and responsibly." 

BY: LEANNE O'BRIEN

PHOTOGRAPHS BY: LEANNE O'BRIEN

http://www.commonwealthmagazine.org/News-and-Features/Online-exclusives/2011/Spring/Turbine-testing-facility-opens-in-Charlestown.aspx

THE HUGE BUILDING next to the lot holding imported cars in Charlestown looks a lot like a warehouse, but it’s actually part of an effort by Massachusetts to attract cutting-edge renewable energy technology to the state.

“To the untrained eye this may look like any other building, but it is actually a machine -- a sophisticated, intricate machine,” Patrick Cloney, executive director of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, said yesterday at the unveiling of the nation’s first large-scale wind turbine testing facility.

The building dwarfs the 48-meter Clipper Windpower blade that it houses, the first wind turbine blade to be tested at the one-of-a-kind facility. The Wind Technology Testing Center will offer third-party testing of prototype wind turbine blades developed by manufacturers.

The facility, which has the capacity to test blades nearly a football field long, will simulate 20 years of wear over a period of just a few months. From their third floor control room, operators can also subject blades to intense stress by using equipment to pull them in opposite directions.

The construction of the facility was financed with $24.7 million in federal stimulus funds, a $2 million federal National Renewable Energy Lab grant, and $13.2 million in grants and loans from the state’s Clean Energy Center.

For Gov. Deval Patrick, the testing facility is a long-awaited step towards his vision of Massachusetts as a clean energy hub. “I was thinking when we were here to break ground, I better win re-election so I can be here to cut the ribbon." Patrick said.

US Rep. Michael Capuano credited the stimulus package with the creation of 300 construction jobs at the site and attracting new industries to the state. “You know that big, bad bill that everybody hated so much? It created this facility. It created these jobs,” he said.

Another supporter of the project, US Rep. Ed Markey said that he looks forward to a future of energy self-sufficiency in which the state “will be telling OPEC that we don’t need their oil any more than we need their sand.”

Craig Christenson, senior vice president of Clipper Windpower, the wind turbine testing facility’s first customer, said the center will enable his company to introduce new products to the market more quickly. Previously, the company had been forced to outsource the testing of their turbine blades to European companies. Christenson said the new facility means the US has “regained a leadership position” in the field of wind technology after years of European dominance.

Officials said customers of the facility will be charged fees that vary depending on the scope of the testing project. Revenues will flow to the Clean Energy Center, a state authority that invests in renewable energy projects and companies. Cloney said the facility is booked solid for the next 18 months, attracting domestic and foreign blade manufacturers, even some that have their own testing facilities.

Governor Deval Patrick today joined state and federal officials and wind industry leaders in Charlestown to celebrate the opening of the first facility in the United States capable of testing large-scale wind turbine blades up to 90 meters in length.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s (MassCEC) Wind Technology Testing Center (WTTC) will serve as a critical component in the wind energy industry, speeding deployment of the next generation of wind blades into the marketplace, attracting companies to design, manufacture and test their blades in the United States and catalyzing growth in the American wind turbine supply chain.
"To win the clean energy future, our nation and state must enthusiastically embrace the use of large-scale wind turbines in onshore and offshore wind farms," said Governor Patrick. "The Wind Technology Testing Center will help achieve that goal, by doing business with companies from around the world, and advancing the next generation of blade technology." 
Approximately 300 construction and engineering jobs were created in transforming an empty parking lot into the world-class wind blade testing facility. The WTTC is already attracting global wind blade manufacturing to Massachusetts. Last fall, global wind blade manufacturer TPI Composites opened a wind blade R&D, and prototype manufacturing facility in Fall River, and is currently working on building its first prototype wind blades. TPI will be a customer of the WTTC, and has cited it as a key driver in its decision to set up shop in Massachusetts.
“New England winds have tested the wills of sailors and citizens for centuries. Now we will be taking the lead in testing and developing the wind turbines that will help power our nation in the 21st Century. This new clean energy facility will help ensure that the Bay State has a front row seat for the clean energy revolution,” said Congressman Ed Markey.
“I am pleased to be here today celebrating the opening of the Wind Technology Testing Center, which created hundreds of jobs during a difficult economy. With the work done at this facility developing the next generation of wind turbines, Massachusetts is leading the way in advancing clean energy initiatives,” said Congressman Michael Capuano.
“The Wind Technology Testing Center will not only strengthen the status of Boston and the Commonwealth as a world leader in wind development, but as a leader in clean tech innovation,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino.  “I commend Governor Patrick and the Obama Administration for their collaborative efforts to nurture the clean tech economy. If we continue working together, I have no doubt that we can lead the way on economic and environmental gains that will make a difference at home and around the world.”
“Massachusetts has made huge strides in wind power since the Patrick-Murray administration took office – moving from an installed capacity of 3.1 megawatts to an expected 90 megawatts installed or in construction and design by the end of this year,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs the MassCEC board. “Today, we hit another significant milestone – providing the U.S. with the first facility capable of testing the next-generation utility-scale turbines."
“The Wind Technology Testing Center is more proof that Massachusetts is leading the clean energy innovation revolution,” said MassCEC Executive Director Patrick Cloney. “Our clean energy future will require large-scale wind turbines to support wind projects both on land and offshore, and the WTTC will be at the forefront of developing those turbines.”
In June 2007, Massachusetts won a competitive $2 million federal NREL grant, plus in-kind technical and operating assistance, to help outfit and run a new wind blade testing center. In May 2009, the WTTC was awarded $24.7 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to accelerate development of the WTTC. MassCEC provided $13.2 million in grants and loans for design and initial development expenses for the project, which will be the first commercial large blade test facility in the nation, testing commercial-sized wind turbine blades to help reduce cost, improving technical advancements and expediting the deployment of the next generation of wind turbine blades into the marketplace.
MassCEC, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) National Wind Technology Center (NWTC,) broke ground on the WTTC in Charlestown in October 2009. The WTTC is uniquely positioned on an existing deep water port and near interstate highways, close to numerous world-class clean energy research and academic centers in the Boston area. The blades will be shipped to the facility primarily by water, with shorter blades shipped by road, if required.
The WTTC will provide three test stands (providing ability to test three blades simultaneously), 100 tons of overhead bridge crane capacity and a full suite of certification tests for turbine blades up to 90 meters in length, including static and fatigue testing, blade material testing, dual axis static or fatigue testing, and quality testing. In addition as part of its effort to help the wind industry deploy the next generation of onshore and offshore wind turbine technologies, the WTTC will offer the latest wind turbine blade testing and prototype development methodologies, research and development partnerships, blade repair capabilities and hands-on workforce training. The facility will be able to test three blades at a time.
As part of an effort to be a first adopter of clean energy technologies produced by Massachusetts clean energy companies, MassCEC selected an intelligent lighting system from Boston-based Digital Lumens to light the WTTC. The system was chosen based on several factors including using 66 percent less energy than traditional lighting alternatives, the ability to provide required light levels from the 80-foot ceiling heights of the facility, an integrated networking and intelligence system that will help maximize energy savings, and the elimination of maintenance and re-lamping associated with other lighting sources.
“Clipper Windpower is delighted to be the first company to utilize the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s new WTTC. In the past, the wind energy industry has relied upon European blade test laboratories to qualify new blade designs. As a U.S. company, the ability to conduct ultimate strength and fatigue durability tests on the world’s largest, next-generation size rotor blades right here in America will accelerate our ability to finalize designs and get our products to market,” said Clipper Wind Senior Vice President of Engineering Craig Christenson. “With a state-of-the-art, world-class blade test center, America has strengthened its capability to compete in the global wind energy sector. Investments like the WTTC support our nation’s green energy future and bring us closer to having what it takes to compete as a world leader in the global energy sector, a market forecast to exceed $96 billion and deliver 1.92% of the world’s electricity in 2011.”
“This project created thousands of hours of work for Local 7 Ironworker members during difficult economic times,” said Local 7 Ironworker Business Agent Paul Lynch. “All phases of this project were a unique opportunity for our team, and I’m proud to see this outstanding facility come to fruition. My hat goes off to all the Ironworkers who worked on this project, as well as the Patrick-Murray Administration, Mayor Menino, Turner Construction Company, and Local 7 Ironworker contractors Francis Harvey & Sons, Daniel Marr & Sons and Ipswich Bay Glass Co. Inc.”    
Earlier this month, Governor Patrick traveled to the Berkshires to cut the ribbon on the new ten-turbine Berkshire Wind Project, the state’s first utility scale onshore wind farm, with the capacity to generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 6,000 homes in the region. This Spring, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar traveled to Massachusetts to green light the construction plan for Cape Wind, which will be the nation's first offshore wind farm. 10 developers have recently expressed interest in additional offshore wind developments in the federal waters south of Martha’s Vineyard.

In partnership with CLF Ventures, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) provides a guide to land-based wind energy issues that we hope  will help decision-makers navigate the complex issues involved in siting land-based wind energy. 
Click Here to Read the Guidebook 
Topics covered in this resource include:

• How to make sense of information about wind energy
• Why are Massachusetts and its communities considering wind energy?
• Economics
• Visual Impacts and Health
• Sound and Health
• Birds, Bats, and Wind Power
• Property  Values
• Public Engagement in the Siting Process

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced that it is partnering with Alteris Renewables, Munro Distributing and New England Breeze to provide services in for the Solarize Massachusetts pilot the towns of Hatfield, Harvard, Scituate and Winchester. 
In late April, MassCEC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for bulk purchasing business models from solar integrators in which installation costs are based on a tiered structure that provide lower costs with increased capacity of solar installed within the community. MassCEC will partner with the four integrators to provide education, free solar assessments, different ownership (or financing) models, and installation services in the Solarize Massachusetts pilot communities. Alteris Renewables will provide services for Solarize Massachusetts in the towns of Winchester and Hatfield. Munro Distributing will provide services in Scituate and New England Breeze will provide services in Harvard. 
Solarize Massachusetts is a new business model that MassCEC announced in April to encourage residents and business owners to adopt solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. MassCEC, in partnership with the Green Communities Division of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) selected the communities of Harvard, Hatfield, Scituate, and Winchester to participate in the model, which leverages education, grassroots marketing, and group purchasing to accelerate the adoption of solar PV. 
 “We are well on our way to reaching Governor Patrick’s goal to install 250 megawatts of solar power in Massachusetts by 2017 – in the process building a new clean energy economy,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs the MassCEC board of directors. “Shifting to a clean energy economy hinges, ultimately, on energy choices made by individuals, families, and businesses across the state. Solarize Massachusetts embodies that grassroots approach and has the potential to take the Patrick-Murray Administration’s efforts to a new level, catalyzing wider adoption of solar energy and greater energy independence through the power of community connections.”
“The innovative business models offered by these three companies will make installing solar photovoltaic easier and more affordable than ever before,” said MassCEC Executive Director Patrick Cloney. “By deploying these models and educating communities on solar, Solarize Massachusetts will put us one step closer to reaching Governor Patrick’s solar energy goals, and one step closer to making clean energy a marquee industry in Massachusetts, like life sciences, IT and financial services.” 
Through Solarize Massachusetts, MassCEC provides education and marketing support to help the four communities implement a community-wide solar PV program for residential and small-scale commercial projects, and deploy a business model to reduce costs. MassCEC will provide technical support and host free educational meetings in the pilot communities to educate people about the benefits of installing solar and to drive interest in implementing the technology.
“The Commonwealth has led the nation in empowering cities and towns to create a greener energy future through the creation of the Green Communities Division and the Green Communities Designation and Grant program. With Solarize Mass, we are now empowering residents and businesses to also lead-by-example and participate in the clean energy economy,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Mark Sylvia. 
"I'm pleased Harvard has been selected to be a part of the promising new Solarize Massachusetts program, which I hope will lead to the increased use of solar technology in our community - and, ultimately, a successful business model for expanding solar throughout the Commonwealth," said Senator Jamie Eldridge. 
“Solarize Massachusetts is a promising initiative that will have many environmental and economic benefits both for Scituate and for the Commonwealth. I look forward to seeing this pilot program get underway in the coming months,” said Senator Robert L. Hedlund.
"This represents yet another step toward a cleaner, more efficient, more sustainable future," said Senator Stan Rosenberg said. "The people involved with this project are demonstrating a remarkable ability to examine old problems with new eyes."
"Recently designated a Green Community, Harvard is continuing their commitment to clean energy by participating in the Solarize Massachusetts Program,” said Representative Jennifer Benson. I congratulate them on being chosen as part of the pilot program and know the community will benefit greatly from this partnership."
"I am pleased that the residents of the town of Scituate will be able to take part in this great program," said Representative Garrett Bradley.  "By allowing residents to group buy solar panels for their home it will allow more residents to have access to this technology."  "It is critical that we invest in green energy in the Commonwealth and the Solarize Massachusetts program will be a big step in that direction."
"Scituate has long been a leader in investigating clean energy sources, and I think this pilot program will be a great opportunity for folks to get more information to determine if solar power is a potential solution for their energy needs," said Representative Jim Cantwell.
"Winchester is excited to be a pilot community in the Solarize Mass program and looks forward to working with Alteris Renewables to assist residents and business owners with installing solar PV panels to reduce energy use and save money," said Representative Jason Lewis.
MassCEC and DOER solicited applications for the pilot program from designated Green Communities and selected at random one community from each region to participate. MassCEC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for bulk purchasing business models from solar integrators in which installation costs are based on a tiered structure that provide lower costs with increased capacity of solar installed within the community. 
As a result of the Commonwealth Solar rebate programs launched in 2008 and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for solar on water treatment facilities and other public buildings, Massachusetts is in the midst of a 30-fold increase in solar PV installations since 2007. Currently, there are nearly 45 MW of solar energy installed in Massachusetts, and an additional 40 MW under contract for installation by the end of this year - up from 3.5 MW when Governor Patrick took office. 
Commonwealth Solar rebate programs also helped spur a vibrant solar industry in Massachusetts. According to a MassCEC survey of clean energy companies, employment in solar manufacturing, installation, and services has more than doubled since Governor Patrick first took office, and solar manufacturing jobs alone have more than doubled from 2007 to 2010.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) today announced that four clean energy researchers will receive grants under the MassCEC Catalyst Program, which supports the commercialization of game-changing clean energy technologies coming out of Massachusetts’ world-class research institutions.
“Massachusetts is uniquely suited to prosper in the clean energy sector – and the innovative research coming out of our world-renowned educational institutions is a big factor in that equation,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs the MassCEC board of directors.  “MassCEC’s Catalyst awards play directly to the Commonwealth’s strengths in education, R & D, and innovation.  We are pleased to offer these grants and look forward to seeing the work of the recipients move toward commercialization as a result.” 
The MassCEC Catalyst Program, which is funded by MassCEC and managed by MTTC, awards early-stage researchers grant awards of up to $40,000 to help demonstrate the commercial viability of their clean energy technology. Recipients must use funding for projects that advance the eventual commercialization of their technologies. Awards are used to develop prototypes, or to gather initial data showing proof of a concept or to obtain data that show a technology’s competitive advantage and how it compares to existing technologies. The goal of the Catalyst Program is to help technologies progress along the development curve to a point where additional commercialization funding can be obtained.
“MassCEC’s Catalyst program showcases the Commonwealth’s vibrant community of passionate technologists who are working to propel clean energy technologies from the research lab to the global marketplace,” said MassCEC Executive Director Patrick Cloney. “The support through MassCEC’s Catalyst Program is helping put us one step closer to making clean energy a marquee industry in Massachusetts, like life sciences, IT and financial service.” 
"The MassCEC Catalyst Program awards continue to support some of Massachusetts leading researchers as they commercialize their research,” said Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center Director Abi Barrow. “Specifically the funds enable the awardees to show how their technologies will work in the real world."
MassCEC Catalyst Program received 22 applications from researchers throughout the state in the second round of the program. The second round of awards in this program goes to the following researchers:
Michael Gevelber, Ph.D. and Donald Wroblewski, Ph.D. “Achieving Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings: Development of a Software Tool to Optimize Building HVAC.”
Boston University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering
This research effort is directed at developing a new software tool that improves the energy efficiency of building HVAC systems, which is significant since it accounts for 50 percent to 70 percent of building energy use. The system is directed at optimizing the settings of building HVAC control systems, which are many times inefficient since they were originally designed when energy was cheap. MassCEC’s Catalyst Program funding will help the team develop of a system prototype and performance evaluation for a large, mixed used building at Boston University.
Vladimir Bulovic, Ph.D. and Richard R. Lunt, Ph.D.“Low-Cost Transparent Photovoltaic Solar Cells for Windows in Homes, Buildings, and Automobiles”
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
The team will explore transparent excitonic photovoltaic technologies that can be optimized to retain high glass transparency while utilizing absorbed infrared light to generate power.  These devices can be integrated onto windowpanes in homes, skyscrapers and automobiles, enhancing the functionality of existing transparent surfaces. MassCEC’s Catalyst Program funding will be used to develop a prototype large-area, transparent solar cell:  a scalability demonstration that will accelerate market acceptance of this technology.
John M. Rice, Ph.D., Department of Mechanical Engineering; Yong K. Kim, Ph.D., Department of Bioengineering. “Reducing Our Transportation Carbon Footprint Using UMD’s Z-Axis Technology for Creating Lighter, Corrosion Resistant and Lower Cost Composite Materials”
University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth
The team at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth has invented and developed new generation of inter-laminar fiber reinforced resin composite materials has been invented and developed.  These new composite materials have dramatically improved their impact strength and resistance to inter-laminar cracking. MassCEC’s Catalyst Program funding will allow researchers to apply the new technology to new application areas affecting the lowering of the overall carbon footprint of transportation vehicles (airliners, automobiles, boats).  
Taofang Zeng, Ph.D. “Thermal Insulation Materials and Structures for Building Energy Conservation”
Mechanical Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MassCEC’s Catalyst Program funding will be utilized to research methods to reduce the manufacturing cost of silica aerogels and thus to allow wide applications. Thermal insulation is one of the most efficient ways for energy conservation. Silica aerogels are a material with the best insulation properties.

State officials are trying to drive down the cost of solar power for homeowners and small businesses by bringing potential buyers together with sellers in a more cost-efficient manner.
Right now, solar installers have to make their pitch house by house. The state’s new program, called Solarize Massa­chu­setts, aims to round up a bunch of potential customers in a town and let a solar installer make a presentation to all of them at once. It’s a little like the website Groupon, where merchants offer a price discount to attract a large volume of customers.
Patrick Cloney, the executive director of the Massa­chu­setts Clean Energy Center, says part of the idea behind the pilot program was born from his experience in the construction business, where he would perform work on one house in a neighborhood, and then neighbors would come to him asking for work to be done on their homes.
“I always thought that was an interesting phenomenon. It gave residents a level of comfort that, if we were doing a good job on one house, we’d do a good job on all the rest,” says Cloney in a phone interview.
The Clean Energy Center is testing the concept this summer in Scituate, Winchester, Hatfield, and Harvard, four of the state’s 53 green communities, a state designation for cities and towns that have met a set of regulatory and energy use criteria.
Cloney says the “solar integrators,” or companies that will install the solar photovoltaic systems, agreed to a tiered pricing model where the cost of the system to homeowners will depend on how many people sign up. He says participants can expect to see a base savings of 8 to 10 percent off the current cost of a solar photovoltaic system, which is about $6 per watt, or $30,000 for a five-kilowatt system.  If more people participate, savings could rise to between 18 and 33 percent, he says.
A homeowner’s energy savings will depend on a number of factors, including whether he purchases the system outright or leases it from the company doing the installation. With existing tax credits and other incentives available for installing solar, Cloney says a system typically will pay for itself within six to seven years. Assuming the industry-standard 20-year warranty on a solar photovoltaic system, Cloney says a homeowner could pay off the system and end up generating electricity at no cost for about 14 years. The payoff will be faster with the savings from the Solarize Massachusetts effort, he says.
Alteris Renewables, a Connecticut-based company whose website boasts the tagline “The sun will never announce a rate hike,” was chosen as the solar integrator for Win­chester and Hatfield. Hudson-based New England Breeze will be the integrator for the town of Harvard and New Bedford-based Munro Distributing will provide the services for Scituate.
The Solarize program is part of an ambitious effort by the Patrick administration to install 250 megawatts of solar energy by 2017. Massachusetts is expecting to have 85 megawatts installed by the end of this year.
To promote interest in the pilot, the Clean Energy Center provided the selected towns with small grants for marketing and promotion of meetings where residents can learn more about the program.
“Solar 101” community meetings were held in late May, with the purpose of educating residents about solar energy. Louellyn Lambros, a volunteer for Solarize Massa­chusetts in Scituate and member of an initiative called Sustainable Scituate, helped spread the word about the program in Scituate through flyers, newspaper announcements, and social media.
Lambros says interest is strong, with 143 people attending the May 23 “Solar 101” meeting in her town. “I have to say I was just so surprised that, practically without exception, there was just so much enthusiasm for solar energy, that the idea of it had become so mainstream,” says Lambros.
In Winchester, Dave Judelson, who serves as a liaison between Solarize Massachusetts and town nonprofit groups, says that there were about 120 people interested in getting the solar assessment done for their homes.
Kate Plourd, a spokeswoman for the Clean Energy Center, says residents were invited to “Solar 201” meetings in mid-June where they would hear from the chosen solar integrator in their area on costs and potential savings. At the Solar 201 meetings, residents would also be able to sign up for a site assessment to ensure that installing solar panels on their property is viable. Participants will be able to sign contracts for installation through Sept­em­ber, after which the pilot program ends.
Both Cloney and Plourd emphasized that the pilot’s focus on solar energy education is a way to build interest in harnessing the sun’s energy. “By teaching people and encouraging them to spread the word, we think that more people will learn and really understand how easy it is,” Plourd says.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), in partnership with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), announced today that it is awarding contracts to the New England Aquarium and the College of Staten Island to collect migratory and habitat usage data on marine wildlife to help the Commonwealth and federal agencies evaluate sites for future wind energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Massachusetts.
“This research advances our parallel goals of developing Massachusetts’ tremendous offshore clean energy potential while protecting our environmental resources,” said EEA Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs the MassCEC Board of Directors.  
“These studies will assure the Commonwealth and the federal government that offshore wind sites that move forward in these waters are in the best locations and configurations with respect to marine wildlife species,” said MassCEC Executive Director Patrick Cloney.   
MassCEC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to conduct the field survey work for a full year. Data will be collected for birds, North Atlantic right whales and other large whales, and sea turtles in federal waters off the coasts of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.  MassCEC has awarded $570,000 to The New England Aquarium Corporation for field survey of large whales and sea turtles, and $330,000 to the College of Staten Island for field survey of birds. 
“The Aquarium’s research staff is excited to do marine wildlife surveys of the waters south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket for large whales and sea turtles,” said New England Aquarium President and CEO Bud Ris. “This will be an important step in providing systematic scientific data that can be used to minimize conflicts between marine life and offshore energy development.” 
“As a senior college of The City University of New York, the College of Staten Island is deeply committed to supporting the advancement of faculty research with partner organizations dedicated to our mutual goals of preserving and protecting the environment while advancing the pursuit of renewable energy,” said College of Staten Island President Dr. Tomás D. Morales.  “Dr. Richard Veit is uniquely qualified to conduct these surveys based upon his proven track record of developing detailed and temporally intensive datasets on marine bird abundance, and his long-term experience in the area.”
This RFP follows the recent announcement of a federal leasing process for development of offshore wind energy in federal waters off the Massachusetts coast.  In December 2010 the US Department of Interior’s Bureau of Offshore Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) issued a Request for Interest (RFI) to measure the offshore wind industry’s interest in developing projects within a 3,000 (2,224 nautical) square mile expanse of federal waters off the Massachusetts coast, beginning approximately 13.8 (12 nautical) miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The Massachusetts Renewable Energy Task Force – an interagency group of federal, state, tribal, and local elected officials – partnered with BOEMRE to draw the boundaries of the RFI area, which has excellent wind resources and water depths able to accommodate current and near-term wind power technologies.  Based upon consultations with commercial fishermen, fisheries scientists, and other maritime users and interests, the Patrick-Murray Administration recommended removing the eastern portion of the RFI because of its importance to the Commonwealth’s fishing industry and to marine fauna.  BOEMRE subsequently accepted the state’s recommendation.  MassCEC and EEA will continue to collaborate with the Task Force, as well as federal and state fisheries and wildlife agencies, as the field survey work is developed and conducted.