Town report flags high power bills; Select Board hears energy-audit findings and plans for solar, generator feasibility
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Summary
Town Administrator presented an energy audit showing roughly $83,000 in annual electricity costs across 16 municipal accounts, outlined proposals to pursue MVP grant-funded solar and generator feasibility studies, and identified immediate fixes such as LED floodlight replacements at 48 Gardner Road.
The Town of Hubbardston’s town administrator told the Select Board March 17 that a preliminary energy and utility audit shows roughly $83,000 in annual electric costs spread across 16 municipal accounts. The report played into a broader discussion about pursuing state-funded feasibility work for solar installations and standby generator upgrades to make Hubbardston Center School usable as an emergency operations center.
Nut graf: Staff framed the audit as a starting point for efficiency measures and grant-seeking. The board was told the town will pursue Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant opportunities to evaluate solar on school roofs and at 48 Gardner Road and to study whether generators could be sized and arranged to support emergency operations.
Town Administrator Nate walked the board through account-level figures and a set of next steps: call MassSave for a building assessment, change flood and exterior lighting to dark-sky-compliant LEDs, and pursue two regional MVP applications — one with Hardwick/CMRPC for school rooftop solar and a generator at Hubbardston Center School, and a second MVP application for feasibility of solar and a generator at 48 Gardner Road. “This is all something I'm looking into,” Nate said, “This was a beginning of a conversation that I'm going to bring back up several times… you will have this in your inbox.”
Board members discussed specific problems at 48 Gardner Road: the facility has multiple electric meters (staff said seven meters are associated with the building and exterior lights) and an especially bright floodlight that local residents say shines into a neighboring house; staff will explore tilting or replacing the fixture. The town will also prioritize quick wins such as switching exterior floodlights to LEDs and evaluating lighting placement to reduce glare and lower costs.
The administrator said the MVP feasibility funding would pay for professional analysis; construction or equipment purchases would require subsequent approvals and funding. The Select Board did not vote on grant applications at the March 17 meeting; staff were authorized to continue research, to seek MassSave assistance, and to present firm grant proposals and cost estimates at future meetings.