A Bright Idea for Swampscott!

Middle School Live Data High School Live Data

Project Overview and Expected Environmental Impact

  • 450 DC kilowatt solar project installed on two rooftops: Swampscott High School and Middle School
  • 383 kW installed at Swampscott High School, using 1,666 Schüco 230 Watt crystalline solar panels and utilizing an estimated 80% of total roof space
  • 67 kW installed at Swampscott Middle School, using 294 Schüco 230 Watt crystalline solar panels and utilizing an estimated 12% of total roof space
  • 10,611,600 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity anticipated to be generated during the term of the contract.
  • 5,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide over 20 years expected to be saved – equivalent to the emissions from 1,138 passenger vehicles
  • 19% of the school district’s total annual electricity usage to be produced by the solar installation (per estimates)
  • 20-year solar services agreement between Constellation Energy and the Town of Swampscott
  • Commissioned and serving the Town of Swampscott as of February 2012
  • Systems are owned, operated and maintained by Constellation Energy

Town of Swampscott Facts

The Town of Swampscott is a designated “Green Community” by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. The Swampscott School District includes 5 schools that serve 2,279 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The school district’s energy needs are managed by the Town of Swampscott through its School Business office.

The Swampscott High School and Middle School use 100% of the energy output from the solar installation, representing 19% of the total School District usage. The balance of the schools’ power needs is also served through Constellation Energy acting as a direct energy supplier. In concert with the Town’s 2010 Energy Reduction Plan, this solar installation moves Swampscott closer to achieving the goal of a 20% reduction in municipal fossil fuel energy use by May 2015.

The solar systems’ output and performance can be monitored through a web-based data acquisition system. Students, staff and others at both schools can monitor the solar systems’ output summary displayed on two LCD screens. The real-time data can also be viewed online:

High School : Click Here
Middle School: Click Here

Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy owns, operates and maintains these solar systems including the environmental benefits in the form of renewable energy certificates, and the Town of Swampscott has agreed to purchase all of the electricity generated from the solar panels under a 20-year solar services agreement.

By structuring projects as solar services agreements or power purchase agreements, Constellation Energy’s solar installations require no upfront capital from its customers and provide fixed power costs that are lower than projected market rates. To learn more visit www.constellation.com

Public-Private Partnership I Green Economy I Environmental Responsibility