If all goes according to plan, Yankee Publishing’s solar array will be operational this fall.
Yankee Publishing President Jamie Trowbridge said construction on the company’s 93.5 kilowatt array began three to four weeks ago. Trowbridge said the array will likely be operational by September or October.
“I’m optimistic that the solar array will be generating electricity by the end of October,” said Trowbridge. “I think we should have all the panels in place by the end of the week.”
Yankee’s solar array is situated in the northeastern portion of the field the company owns off Route 101 east of Monument Road.
The array will feature four rows of solar panels in a 6,800 square-foot space. All of the solar panels are placed statically, meaning their position will not move.
It took Yankee more than a year to approve the project through the town’s Planning Board, first approaching the board in April of last year.
After receiving initial approval on Sept. 3, Yankee had to reapproach the board after making changes to their plan. Chief among the changes was a reduction in size from 100-kilowatts.
“I think we can still fulfill all of our energy needs,” said Trowbridge, in an interview in June. “We have discussed a number of conservation efforts, which should also help.”
A second approval was given by the Planning Boar on June 2.
The project cost was about $300,000, according to Trowbridge. Yankee will receive a $75,000 N.H. Public Utilities Commission grant to help offset project costs.
After the project is built, Trowbridge said there will be a final inspection and approval process.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com.