This is an exciting week for Community Energy. We are beginning construction on our first rooftop solar system under Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).  The 29kW solar system is on the roof of the campus center at Smith College in Northampton, MA. The Campus Center is a beautifully designed modern building, a perfect match for solar panels. 

Under our agreement with Smith College, we own and operate the solar system and sell the electricity generated to them at a flat rate over 20 years. This is a great way for Smith College to bring solar power to campus without the upfront investment.

By a stroke of luck, Smith College actually has a web cam pointed at the roof of the campus center so that we can watch the installation as it goes on all this week: November 23 through December 1, 2009.

The Friday after Thanksgiving sounds like it will be the day that the panels get placed on the racking so that should be an exciting day to watch. Hopefully, the weather will be good. Right now it is raining, unfortunately, which doesn’t make for great conditions.

To view the construction process live, click here!