Under-budget building project will pay for solar panels in Marion

MARION — Building cost savings for Marion’s new Department of Public Works location will be reinvested to save taxpayers even more money in the future. 

The Select Board approved the use of $90,000 originally budgeted for the project to be used to purchase and install solar panels on the roof of the building at its Wednesday, Jan. 21 meeting.

Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman said this will help offset the energy cost of the building, and the panels will pay for themselves after about four years. 

Before construction began, the Energy Management Committee proposed installing the proper roofing and orienting the new building to support solar energy collection.

“Everybody was all for it — said let's do it — but we didn't have funding to do the solar (panels),” Gorman said. 

The project is about $315,000 under budget, and Gorman said the town now has the funds to invest in alternative energy. 

With the use of part of these funds approved at the Select Board meeting, the Energy Management Committee can now authorize the purchase of solar panels for the site. Gorman estimates they will be installed before the summer.

“What I love about it is we're able to save almost $30,000 based on rebates that are going to expire at the end of June, and we're going to be able to offset the energy usage by this building, which is all electric,” he said.

This is part of a larger push for alternative energy sources in the town. Gorman said this building is among several sites the town wants to install solar panels at. 

As the town moves to electric heat and energy demands increase, he said solar offers the chance to offset cost and save taxpayers money.

“Using the roof of this building, the roof of the school — we've discussed putting some solar on the old Department of Public Works building, the wastewater treatment facility — we have a lot of options for solar.”