Ayer Electric Completes Solar Array

Moltonborough, NH – In late December 2017, New Hampshire’s largest solar PV array went online, as NECA New Hampshire Division electrical contractor, Ayer Electric, Inc., of Barrington, completed installation of the 2.59MW solar project in Moltonborough for utility company New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC).

Ayer Electric’s recent completion of New Hampshire’s largest solar array / John Koziol, Union Leader

The general contractor was Ameresco of Framingham, Mass. The owner is New Hampshire Electric Cooperative

The photovoltaic (PV) array is comprised of 7,200 solar panels installed across nine acres of a 13-acre site and wired to a NHEC substation. The project scope included Ayer Electric’s installation and wiring of 40 480V-AC inverters, which feed a NHEC transformer. The inverters are installed on steel framing and are rated for exterior use. All underground conduit was installed on the remote and secluded site.

Ayer’s final phase of work was performed during the severe December cold snap as the electrical team provided wire management, which included a comprehensive and detailed tie-in checklist for the 7,200 solar panels.

The solar site is projected to generate 3.5 million kWH of electricity per year, enough to power approximately 600 homes, and will save NHEC more than $280,000 annually in power costs. The green energy project will dramatically help the region’s electricity demands during peak use in the summer.

Ayer Electric handled the project working as a subcontractor to general contractor Ameresco, of Framingham, Mass.

Ameresco supplied the solar panels and a Terrasmart racking system. Ayer managed a field crew of 25 to 30 IBEW Local 490 electricians, based out of Concord, NH, in the fast-track, three month project. The Ayer management team, headed by Project Supervisor Todd Sanborn and Project Estimator Frank Ganter worked in close cooperation with NHEC project engineer Gary LeMay and Ameresco project manager Nabih Younis.

“The Moultonborough solar project is important for NHEC and its customers, and Ayer Electric is pleased to have worked to have worked in tandem with Ameresco in its installation. Our Local 490 crew did a skillful job throughout the project, and especially in extremely harsh weather conditions, to meet the project scope and timeline,” said Ganter.

The NHEC Moultonborhough solar project is a Davis Bacon project, funded by New Clean Renewable Energy US Bonds.