The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority said it has flipped the switch on a one-megawatt array of solar panels in Hamden that will power an adjacent water treatment facility and help lower water rates its customers pay.
Through a power purchase agreement, SCCRWA will save $1 million over 20 years, which it says it will pass on to its customers through its rates. The authority, headquartered in New Haven, has customers in 14 surrounding communities.
The ground-mounted system’s more than 4,000 panels make it one of the largest in the state, according to the authority. The system will provide enough electricity to power 120 average-sized Connecticut homes, which is approximately 80 percent of the power the facility needs to operate, SCCRWA said.
It will also lower the authority’s carbon footprint by 1.5 million pounds per year.
Rocky Hill’s Solar City installed and financed the system, which will receive credits through the Connecticut Renewable Energy Credit Program.
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