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Posted on: January 13 2011 Tags:

WESTBORO — Bruce F. Forrestall used to build houses. His latest project is a farm.

But instead of fruits and vegetables planted in the ground, there are photovoltaic panels. This is a solar farm.

The 240-kilowatt project includes 856 solar panels. The panels are expected to produce about 270,000 kilowatt-hours of energy per year. That's enough clean energy to power 45 homes.

The array of angled, gleaming blue panels is located near the railroad tracks at 113 Milk Street (Route 135). The solar farm is visible to drivers as they cross the Milk Street bridge over the railroad tracks.

The project, one of the largest ground-mounted solar systems in Central Massachusetts, cost $2 million. A federal stimulus grant is covering 30 percent of the cost.

Mr. Forrestall said he got the idea to build a solar farm in Westboro last year after he drove by a similar project in Fort Myers, Fla., where he spends the winters.

Power generated at the Westboro solar farm will be connected to the grid, and National Grid will credit Mr. Forrestall for it. He plans to use the credit on his energy bills for his other properties in town, including his home, a car wash, a Shell gas station and a condo building.

The solar farm will be switched on this month. It is the second solar project for the Westboro developer, who, in 2008, had 99 solar panels installed on the roof of his business, Car Wash & Detailing of Westborough. The panels cover 30 percent of the car wash's energy costs.

Mr. Forrestall is already planning his next solar projects.

“As soon as I'm sure this one is going well,” he said of the solar farm, “I'm going to do more.”

The Westboro farm is one of the few ground-mounted solar projects in the area. Ground-mounted systems are becoming more popular, according to Daniel T. Greenwood, manager of business development at SolarFlair Energy Inc. of Framingham.

“I do think we'll see more,” said Mr. Greenwood, whose company managed both of Mr. Forrestall's projects. “It's a good option for people who may not have a big enough roof.”

As long as they're not covered by shade, solar panels can be effective no matter how low they are to the ground, according to Mr. Greenwood.

SolarFlair recently installed ground-mounted panels in Holliston and Dennis Port, and it's planning similar projects for Central Massachusetts.

Homeowners who want to install solar panels but don't have a roof that's big or strong enough could have panels installed on the ground, Mr. Greenwood said. At the right angle, the panels could allow for parking underneath.

The town of West Boylston installed 1,760 ground-mounted solar panels at Paul X. Tivnan Road and Shrewsbury Street last year, in the biggest municipal solar project in Massachusetts. The solar farm will generate an estimated 450,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which will be delivered to more than 3,000 customers.

A ground-mounted system also worked well for Carlson Orchards in Harvard, which installed more than 1,000 solar panels on land that used to be covered with aging Macintosh apple trees.

“In agriculture, it is the largest one in the state,” said Franklyn Carlson, president of the farm.

Mr. Carlson said the panels are working as well as expected, producing 108,000 kilowatt hours since they were turned on in August.

He expects to see more projects like this cropping up across the state.

“They're coming,” he said.

By Priyanka Dayal TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF



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