The Whately Solar project is located on a 10-acre parcel in the Pioneer Valley town of Whately, Massachusetts.
The property is owned by Szawlowski Potato Farms. Known locally as “Swaz,” the family-owned farm is one of New England’s largest potato producers and has operated since 1910.
Solar generation offered an opportunity to help the farm become more environmentally responsible and conserve the land for future uses. At a time when many family farms are being turned into housing developments and removed permanently from agricultural production, the decision to turn to solar will allow the land to return to farming use in the future.
Electricity generated by the project is enough to power over 200 homes and displace over 2,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. That power is sold to a county office that will receive over $600,000 in savings on their electric bills as a result.
| Owner and Operator | Citizens Enterprises Corp. |
|---|---|
| Developer | Citizens Enterprises Corp. |
| General Contractor | Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan |
| Electrical Contractor | Fischbach & Moore, Boston, Mass. |
| Permitting Support | GZA, Springfield, 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 | Advanced Energy |
| Inverter Type | SOLAREN 500 |
| Inverter Quantity | 3 |
| Module Manufacturer | Hyundai |
| Module Wattage | 250 Watts |
| Module Quantity | 7,176 |
| Module Type | Mono-crystalline |
| Tilt | 32˚ |