Partners with Solect Energy
Stoughton – Cerebral Palsy of Massachusetts has partnered with Solect Energy of Hopkinton to install a 109 kilowatt (kW) solar energy system on the roof of its Stoughton location. The solar array is expected to cover up to 50% of the organization’s annual electricity use, allowing the agency to apply thousands of dollars in operational savings to furthering its mission.
Cerebral Palsy of MA has long been a supporter of green energy and sustainability. The organization first considered going solar as a way to reduce costs while improving the environment. The agency made a choice to own the system outright, an atypical financing solution for a nonprofit, since most do not have the up-front capital and do not qualify for the tax incentives associated with owning a solar system.
“The fact that we will be producing our own energy and that it will pay itself off in a relatively short period of time were important factors in making this financing decision,” said Larry Spencer, CEO of Cerebral Palsy of MA.
The solar array will create in excess of $1 million in net cash flow over its 25-year warranty period. Despite being a not for profit, the savings will be generated by avoided electricity and delivery expenses, and income from Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), the state incentive that has helped Massachusetts become a leader in solar energy deployment.
In addition to its solar installation, Cerebral Palsy of MA has upgraded all of the lighting fixtures in its building to LED bulbs, and completed an HVAC VFD integration project to reduce the energy used to heat/cool the building and enhance the overall comfort of the employees working in the building.
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“We realize that solar is the first step in our efforts working with staff to find other ways to reduce our energy demand,” said Spencer. “We’ll display our solar monitoring information in the lobby of our building to demonstrate our solar electricity production and encourage staff to further decrease our energy demand in other ways. The savings we generate from the solar project will help us to fund additional services for people with disabilities in the future. This investment will result in long-term service enhancements to the people we serve.”
“It’s truly rewarding to see a solar solution helping an organization like Cerebral Palsy,”
said Matt Shortsleeve, vice president of development at Solect Energy. “This smart
business decision singlehandedly redirects tens of thousands of dollars per year from
what was an expense, to what is now funding for this wonderful organization, which can
be utilized on its team and the people they serve. It’s a win-win situation, and one we
are proud to be a part of.”
Cerebral Palsy of Massachusetts exists to provide a continuum of service that support
the efforts of children and adults with various disabilities to live as independently as
possible in a less restrictive and safer environment. Through personal involvement,
individual decision-making is supported and encouraged to enhance the control a
person has over his/her own life while fostering self- sufficiency. The agency, through its programs and services, encourages the inclusion of people with disabilities into the
mainstream of society including social, recreational, family and work activities.
