Summary
Five community solar farms will enable Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross) and residents and businesses in the Blackstone Valley and throughout National Grid territory of Southeastern MA to lower their electricity costs and help reduce carbon emissions.
“This agreement and these projects will lead to cleaner air, reduce our electricity costs, support our local economy and help to address climate change, one of the biggest public health issues we face today..”
– Kyle Cahill
Director of Sustainability and Environmental Health,
Blue Cross Blue Shield
2.6 MW
Net Metering Credits Purchased
5
Community Solar Arrays
6.9 MW
Renewable Power Capacity
6,300
Metric Ton Reduction in Carbon Emissions
Customer Benefits
Net metering credits are produced by generating renewable energy from solar and applying those credits to customer utility bills, reducing a customer’s overall monthly electricity costs. These projects have helped work towards sustainability goals for Blue Cross and the state of MA.
- Community Solar management services provided through BlueWave’s Community Solar Share Program and Solar Management Platform
- Electricity bill reductions for 200 local residents and small businesses
- Accessibility to local clean energy throughout Southeastern MA
- 13% increase in power generated by community solar projects in MA
- Reduce MA carbon emissions by 6,300 metric tons; the equivalent of taking 1,328 cars off the road
Services Provided
The solar projects, owned by Ameresco and co-developed with BlueWave Solar, comprise a total of approximately 6.9 MW of renewable power. Blue Cross, the anchor off-taker for these projects, entered a long-term agreement to purchase 2.6 MW of net metering credits that will be produced from the arrays.
- 5 Community Solar projects designed, built, owned and operated
- Twin Elm Farm, Site 1: 1,360.80 kW DC; 4,032 Modules
- Twin Elm Farm, Site 2: 1,297.44 kW DC; 3,816 Modules
- Twin Elm Farm, Site 3: 1,423.08 kW DC; 4,248 Modules
- Mendon, Site 4: 1,389.96 kW DC; 4,212 Modules
- Hopedale, Site 5: 1,389.96 kW DC; 4,212 Modules
