“This project provides a significant benefit to all of the Agawam community through low cost power and added tax revenue.” - Richard Cohen, Mayor, Town of Agawam
The Route 57 Solar project is located on underutilized industrial land in Agawam, Massachusetts, abutting a highway embankment on one side and a residential neighborhood on the other.
With an installed capacity of 1.8 megawatts (MW), this installation annually produces over 2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power approximately 200 homes in the lower Pioneer Valley region and prevent the release of over 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide from non-renewable, fossil-fueled power plants each year.
Completed in early 2013, the installation is comprised of 7,254 Hyundai solar panels, three Solectria SGI 500 inverters, and a Schletter pile-driven racking system.
As a partner and host community for this project, the town of Agawam is receiving over $1 million in benefits over the life of the agreement through savings on energy costs and increased tax revenue.
The property is owned by Westmass Area Development Corporation, a regional not-for-profit dedicated to business growth in Western Massachusetts. The project represents the dedication of both Westmass and the town of Agawam to clean energy and their commitment to finding innovative ways to increase sustainability and reduce municipal operating expenses.
Click here to read about Route 57 Solar in The Springfield Republican.
Click here to read the Press Release for Route 57 Solar.
| Owner and Operator | Citizens Enterprises Corp. |
|---|---|
| Developer | Citizens Enterprises Corp. |
| General Contractor | Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan |
| Electrical Contractor | Fischbach & Moore, Boston, Mass. |
| Permitting Support | Tighe and Bond, Westfield, Mass. |
| Installed Capacity | 1.8 MW DC |
| Commissioned | March 2013 |
| Jobs Created | 30 during construction |
| Site Area | 10 acres |
| Energy Production | 2,300,000 kWh per year |
| CO2 Displacement | 2,000 tons per year |
| Mounting Type | Ground-Mount |
| Racking Manufacturer | Schletter Inc. |
| Inverter Manufacturer | Solectria |
| Inverter Type | SGI 500 |
| Inverter Quantity | 3 |
| Module Manufacturer | Hyundai |
| Module Wattage | 250 Watts |
| Module Quantity | 7,254 |
| Module Type | Mono-crystalline |
| Tilt | 32˚ |