Installation of solar panels at the Dublin Fire Station is expected to be started and completed this week, paid for by a state grant. The grant provides $43,843 from the New Hampshire Department of Energy. Then-Gov. Chris Sununu approved the grant for Dublin and 15 other solar proposals across the state in November. Plans originally called for installing the array in the spring, but the project was put on hold after the status of the grant was left in limbo due to federal grants across the board being in jeopardy.
The plan is now moving forward, and will include a solar array on the south-facing portion of the fire station roof. It is planned to offset the power used by the station.
In May, the board signed an agreement with 603 Solar to do the installation. The project will install a total of 39 panels and microinverters on the roof of the station. While the project is not anticipated to cover the entire cost of energy produced by the station, it is expected to cover the majority of it. The projected total utility cost for the station over the next 25 years is $116,970, while the solar is expected to produce savings of $100,315, according to projections provided by 603 Solar. On Monday, the Select Board approved using $1,500 from the townโs energy capital reserve, which contains about $20,691 in total, to cover the permitting costs for the project.
