The Front Line of the Clean Energy Transition
By Max Wagner, Investment Associate
When a tornado touched down in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts this past summer, residents and visitors alike were stunned by what they saw. The tornado ripped trees out of the ground, pried the roof off a hotel, and left thousands without power during the peak tourist season. The famous Cape Cod beaches, usually packed with visitors, were empty as the community assessed the damage. At the center of the recovery effort was Yarmouth Fire Department Chief Philip Simonian.
Steve Gavin (Yarmouth Energy Committee), Joyce Flynn (Yarmouth Energy Committee), Philip Simonian (Yarmouth Fire Department), and Liz Argo (Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative) proudly pose for a photo in front of the solar array at Yarmouth Fire Station #1.
“Never in my 35-year career did I expect that we would be dealing with tornadoes in this community. We are seeing weather on Cape Cod that we have never seen before,” said Chief Simonian.
It’s no wonder lifelong Cape Cod residents were caught off guard by the summer storm; the tornado that hit this past July was only the third ever reported in the history of Cape Cod. Though tornados on the Cape are rare, extreme weather events could become more common as the effects of climate change set in.
For Chief Simonian, the tornado brought a new sense of urgency to an initiative that was already underway: installing solar panels on the rooftops of two Yarmouth fire stations. The two installations will begin generating electricity this fall and have a combined capacity of 203 kilowatts.
The solar projects are a tangible example of the Yarmouth community’s commitment to combatting climate change. Joyce Flynn, Chair of the Yarmouth Energy Committee, sees the projects as long overdue, not just for Yarmouth, but for the human species.
“It’s about time that our species grows up and sustains itself, like we expect our children to. Everyone and everything I’ve ever loved is on this planet, so I know what I’m fighting for,” said Flynn.
Helping preserve the planet isn’t the only benefit of solar at a fire station. The solar panels also deliver energy savings that are especially valuable for a building that must be powered around the clock to protect the community.
“Our buildings are running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Solar saves the town money and keeps the lights on,” said Chief Simonian. Keeping the lights on and the phones ringing is critical because one of the fire stations also houses the town’s 911 dispatch center, a key resource during emergencies.
Rooftop solar panels at a fire station can also be used as a tool for fire department training. In Chatham, another coastal Cape Cod community, fire officials are intrigued by the prospect of using their 97-kilowatt rooftop solar system for safety training.
“We can utilize the solar panels for fire safety training right on our own rooftop. The panels help us train firefighters on what to do if they see solar panels when responding to a fire,” said Chatham Fire Chief Peter Connick.
The solar projects at the Chatham and Yarmouth fire departments are the result of a partnership between Sunwealth, Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative, and ACE Solar that will deliver over $2 million in lifetime savings to municipalities across Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.
The projects represent a commitment to delivering clean energy and valuable savings to our most important public services. Firefighters are on the front line protecting the local community during catastrophic events, fire stations should be on the front line of the clean energy transition.
Max Wagner is an Investment Associate at Sunwealth and a senior at Northeastern University. He is a renewable energy advocate and believes that harnessing solar energy is key to combatting climate change and building an inclusive energy future.