Solar Fenway

A Committee of the Fenway Community Development Corporation

Projects

Sunlight and heat are two renewable sources of the Sun's free, abundant and environmentally benign energy, which can be made usable by technologies such as photovoltaics for electricity and solar thermal systems for hot water. The program will consider any kind of renewable energy technologies, both in type and size, that are appropriate and feasible for the community. Our current focus is on photovoltaic systems (PV), which convert sunlight directly into electricity.


Boston Arts Academy Inauguration 2006	Fenway Views Inauguration 2007
BAA students Princess Bryant and Ashley Lomax, Mayor Menino, City Councilor Mike Ross, Solar Fenway Coordinator Sajed Kamal Chief of Energy & Environmental Services of City of Boston Jim Hunt, Mass Energy Executive Director Larry Chretien, Lighthouse Electrical Contracting President Herb Aikens.	A group of guests and speakers, including Ross Gelbspan,Pulitzer journalist and author of books on climate change (standing third from the left), gather under the PV system, quietly and cleanly generating electricity fueled by the inexhaustible and free energy source, the Sun!

System Specifications: In consideration of criteria of an effective demonstration project, the PV systems will be simple, functional, affordable, replicable and expandable.

Site Selection: The main goal of the project is to demonstrate the utility of renewable energy systems for a variety of sites and purposes. Through community outreach, surveys, workshops, meetings, and presentations on solar energy, we will continue to seek potential sites in residential (community housing, condominiums, cooperatives, privately owned homes), commercial (shops, laundries, restaurants), and community service (health centers, schools) buildings, and institutions (colleges, universities, museums, the Red Sox stadium,). We hope that our projects will facilitate widespread use of renewable energy technologies throughout the Fenway and also in other communities. A post-installation program of demonstration, evaluation, publicity, and solar education for action will follow.

Current Installations: As part of our "Solar Fenway Demonstration Program" we have installed two PV systems: at the Boston Arts Academy, a pilot high school, in 2006, and, in 2007, at Fenway Views, a 55 unit building of which 33 units are condominiums for sale and 22 units will be retained by the Fenway Community Development Corporation as part of its portfolio of affordable rentals (www.liveinfenway.com). The BAA system is a 2.4 kilowatt (AC), grid-connected, roof-top, system. It is expected to generate 2860 kilowatt hours of electricity for the school annually, reducing the energy expense by that much, for at least twenty-year life of the system. It will also offset about 3500 lbs. of carbon dioxide emissions, a cause for global warming. Moreover, the PV system will serve as an educational resource, both for the school and the Fenway community. The system was inaugurated on April 3, 2006, by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. The Fenway Views system is a 1.5 kilowatt, grid connected, wall-mounted, system. It will generate about 1,790 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, reduce the electricity bill by that amount, and offset 2,200 lbs. of carbon dioxide emissions. The system was inaugurated on June 22, 2007, with Ross Gelbspan, Pulitzer journalist and author of books on climate change as the keynote speaker.

System Cost: Hardware and installation cost of the systems is @$11 per watt. The cost is divided between funds raised from various sources and contributions from Project Site Partners (system users). The systems at the Boston Arts Academy and Fenway Views were funded by Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), Mission Hill Fenway Neighborhood Trust, Boston Public Schools, Solar Boston/Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance, City of Boston, and Fenway Community Development Corporation. The systems were installed by Lighthouse Electrical Contracting Inc. of Pembroke, and Environmental Energy Consultants of Bryantville, both in Massachusetts.

To learn more, please contact Solar Fenway by email: solarfenway 'at' verizon.net

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