Solar Panel Field
There soon will be vast improvements that will save the MBTA upwards of $2 million over the next twenty years. The Readville Yard, a largely unused twenty-one acre property in the town of Dedham, Massachusetts was once envisioned for having 600 apartments being constructed. This new proposal calls for 8,500 solar panels to line the plot of land owned by the MBTA, all of which is set to be in place by the Spring of 2013.
Interestingly enough, this is being held in a far more supportive regard than the aforementioned notion of an apartment complex. At fifteen feet tall, the idea for solar panels was brought forth to a Board of Selectmen meeting in mid April by the MBTAs manager of energy efficiency, Michael Donaghy. The surrounding fence around the premises has been promised by Donaghy to not be an unattractive wire fence, but something far more attractive and something that the residents of Dedham can be proud of.
It has been noted that a third-party company will bid on the property to build, own and operate the facility and will thus be granted with renewable energy tax credits as a result. Land that previously was a risky site for arsenic and other harmful materials such as lead, the MBTA has now completely eliminated such a situation at this location. With the MBTA also being exempt from any zoning laws in the local area, Dedhams Zoning Board of Appeals do not have a viable opinion on the case. However despite this, it is something that nonetheless will create jobs, save electricity and spark perhaps the beginning of a green revolution in the area.
More Information: Dedham Patch
