Unitil Corporation, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers throughout New England, “Solarway” facility has eliminated the emission of nearly 3,800 tons of greenhouse gases while producing enough electricity to meet the monthly needs of 200 homes.
"We are absolutely thrilled that the facility is exceeding expectations and delivering clean, renewable energy to downtown Fitchburg."
Alec O'Meara, Media Relations Manager
Unitil installed over 3,700 solar panels on the site of 115 Sawyer Passway, Fitchburg, Mass. to create a 1.3 megawatt facility in late 2017. The 13 football fields of solar panels has produced over 4.8 million kilowatts of electricity since it went live, about 15 percent better than projected. The 3,800 tons of carbon dioxide saved is equivalent to the emissions of 741 passenger vehicles driven for an entire year.
"We are absolutely thrilled that the facility is exceeding expectations and delivering clean, renewable energy to downtown Fitchburg. This is a win, win, win for the community. It repurposed an outdated property that produces an important resource while reducing our carbon footprint," said Media Relations Manager Alec O'Meara.
The site has a long history dating back to the 1850’s of various forms of gas and electric energy production and was a fossil fuel burning power plant until it was shuttered as part of the Electric Industry Restructuring Act of the late-1990s. Unitil repurposed the site as part of its renewable energy portfolio to support the state’s Green Communities Act, which was signed into law in 2008.
