By Jim Cavan

When it comes to investing in solar energy, the Granite State just keeps raising the bar. Yesterday North Conway became the latest in an ever-growing list of New Hampshire cities to invest in renewable energy.

With the help of funding made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the NH Revolving Loan Fund, the North Conway Water Precinct was able install a solar photovoltaic system that will supply energy to cover a significant portion of the plant’s annual electricity usage.

Accompanied by Senator Jeane Shaheen (D-NH) and Thomas Burack from the state’s Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), yesterday the team at Seabrook-based Waterline Alternative Energies officially commissioned the system, now the largest solar array in the state.

According to Jeffrey Haydock, Director of Sales and Business Development at Waterline, both Shaheen and Burack were more than enthusiasitc about what the project meant for New Hampshire’s energy future. “I think the consensus was this is a great project, in large part because it was done by mostly New Hampshire-based contractors,” says Haydock. “Shaheen in particular was very enthusiastic about the role our state is going to play going forward.”

Construction on the near 170 kilowatt solar array began on June 21st, and was completed on July 30th. The ground-mounted system icnludes 744 solar panels and 2 inverters – the equipment used to track output and system efficiency.

The size and scope of the system is nearly double the previous largest in New Hampshire, a 100 kilowatt array constructed by North Andover, Massachusetts company Nexamp at the Londonderry Wire Belt facility this past May.

Annually, the North Conway system will generate approximately 207,405 kWh of electricity. Environmentally speaking, the energy saved each year will help to avoid the release of approximately 328,305 pounds of carbon, roughly equivalent to planting 32 acres of trees.
According to Waterline, all components of the system were manufactured in the United States.
 

ames Hasselbeck, Solar Product Manager at Waterline, said that installing the system would be a win-win for the town of North Conway – even despite it’s formidable size. “Photovoltaic solar power is a well established technology with a long and proven track record of reliability and performance,” explains Hasselbeck. “We’re looking forward to providing North Conway with renewable energy for many years to come.”

The solar array was actually the second alternative energy system to be utilized at the plant, which also recently installed a geothermal system in the Water Precinct’s administrative building to help with a portion of its energy needs.

Since 1987, Waterline has assisted municipalities and industrial customers in building systems that promote water quality and conservation. Waterline Alternative Energies, an affiliate of Waterline Industries, was launched in 2008 to serve as a designer, distributor and installer of renewable energy solutions including solar, wind and hydro electric solutions.

Waterline is currently in varrying stages of projects ranging from 10 kilowatts to 200 kilowatts, and is even exploring megawatt-sized projects which, if completed, would dwarf even the massive array constructed at theNorth Conway Water Precinct.

While Waterline certainly has ambitious goals going forward, for Haydock and the rest of the team, the North Conway project was both a cause for celebration and – hopefully – a sign of things to come.

“For the solar industry in New Hampshire particularly, this was really monumental,” says Haydock. “We’ve proven that alternative energy systems are scalable and that New Hampshire really has a role to play going forward.”

For more information on Waterline, go to www.waterlinecompanies.com