Wastewater Plant Gets Solar Treatment in CT

The wastewater treatment plant in Sprague, Conn. Image courtesy of Greenskies Renewable Energy

Greenskies Renewable Energy, a Clean Focus company, has completed a 137-kilowatt solar array in Sprague, Conn., which will generate electricity for the town’s wastewater treatment plant. The company has built two similar projects in the state—for the City of Middletown and Town of Ledyard.

The solar facility in Sprague is located adjacent to the town’s municipal water treatment plant and will generate 80 percent of its needed electricity load. It consists of a fixed-tilt ground mounted system with 378 Neo Solar Power photovoltaic panels and is estimated to offset 3.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide during its lifespan. This is the equivalent of taking 323 cars off the street, the emissions avoided through this installation equating to 3.7 million miles driven by an average gas-powered passenger car.

Wastewater treatment plants can be large electricity consumers in a municipality, electricity comprising as much as 40 percent of their total operating costs. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 4 percent of all energy use in the country goes to public drinking water and wastewater services.

Greenskies will own, operate and maintain the solar array under a 20-year power purchase agreement.