SCITUATE, MA – January 14, 2014 – The South Shore of Massachusetts becomes a little greener thanks to two new Solect solar PV (photovoltaic) systems installed on the rooftops of the Scituate Racquet & Fitness Club in Scituate and the Village Racquet & Fitness Club in Plymouth. The clubs partnered with Solect Energy Development of Hopkinton, MA, and Green Seal Environmental, Inc. of Sagamore Beach, MA, to develop and install two 99 kW systems–and are expected to each trim their electricity bills by more than 25 percent.
The facilities, each about 42,000 square feet, house tennis courts, indoor pools and fitness areas as well as locker rooms, childcare facilities, a café and a pro shop. The projects were completed under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), in which Green Seal Environmental, a company that invests in green energy projects, owns the systems and sells the electricity back to the clubs at a reduced rate.
“Ever since I worked on a solar project in high school I’ve always been fascinated by solar energy,” said Chris Horne, owner of both clubs. “We had the roof space available and decided it was a win-win situation to partner with Solect and Green Seal to develop this project.”
For its part, Green Seal is able to take advantage of attractive state and federal tax incentives, including SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Certificates), which solar system owners earn based on the amount of solar energy their system generates. SRECs are ultimately purchased by electrical utility providers in Massachusetts to help meet their state-mandated goals of a percentage of power coming from renewable energy sources.
“Green Seal continues to look for good opportunities to invest in renewable energy projects, and the solar systems at the Scituate and Plymouth clubs were a perfect fit,” said Greg Wirsen Executive Vice President of Green Seal Environmental. “It was a pleasure to work on these projects with the clubs and Solect Energy Development.”
“These projects are special because each group is able to continue to focus on their area of expertise,” said Scott Howe, Partner at Solect. “The clubs can keep their focus on running their operations, while Green Seal can manage the financial aspect of the arrangement. Partnerships like these are a real positive for the future of the solar industry in Massachusetts.”
About Green Seal Environmental
Green Seal Environmental (GSE), Inc. is full services environmental engineering consulting firm based in Sagamore Beach, MA. Our current services offered are vast, including hazardous materials, waste management, transportation and disposal services, survey, civil and site engineering, construction administration, as well as solar construction support services for all phases of a solar and biomass energy development projects. Our success is the result of innovative engineering designs, integrated with sensitivity to economic considerations. Attention to detail and adherence to sound engineering principles are cornerstones of our organization. We are registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a corporation and are licensed to practice engineering. To learn more about us, please visit www.gseenv.com
