Solar panels bought for the rebuilt school roofs

What happened

The School Committee awarded the solar contract to NRG Tree and then spent $222,600 from the capital reserve fund to buy panels before a July 4, 2026 deadline. Buying at least 5% of the equipment by that date preserves a 40% federal investment tax credit for the whole installation. The consultant's March presentation described a 335 kilowatt system on the high school within a project of roughly $3 million, with the credit worth an estimated $469,245 and a payback period of about six and a half years.

Why it matters to families

Rooftop solar on the schools being rebuilt is a bet that lower electricity bills later are worth spending reserve money now, at a point when the roofs are open anyway.

The evidence

The March 12, 2026 approved minutes record the NRG Tree presentation of a 335 kilowatt high school system, a 40% investment tax credit worth $469,245, a payback period of about 6.44 years, a total project of roughly $3 million, and a 4-0 vote to develop a $300,000 procurement RFP. The May 7, 2026 minutes record the Safe Harbor requirement to purchase 5% of equipment by July 4, 2026 and a 4-0 vote awarding the bid. The May 22, 2026 minutes record a 3-0 vote allocating $222,600 from the capital reserve fund for the Safe Harbor invoice.

The source