Project Name
Lane Ave
Location
Brookfield, MA
Project Size
1,995
Acres
50
Status
Exit at NTP
Program
MA SMART PROGRAM

For over 30 years, a family in Massachusetts has owned a 35-acre plot of property.

They had been leasing the land to local hay farmers. The family was nearing retirement and ideally looking for supplemental income, but they didn't want to sell their land to a residential housing developer.

The property's topography included a slope, which would allow for a significant solar installation that wouldn't obstruct the neighbors' views or those of the family. The solar land lease provided, allowed the family to count on an extra income stream for the next 25 years.

Lane Ave

This project was ultimately developed as a fixed tilt project with tight row spacing.‍

We worked closely with the town conservation commission throughout development. As part of the project design we opted not to develop one of the proposed fields to protect a stream, stonewalls, and the Northern viewshed, which was the location of two historic farms.

To access the utility connection point during the construction process we contracted a local landowner to rebuild 800 feet of rail trail. The trail also served as preservation of the historic town elements.

The final design of this project was well supported by the neighbors and abutting properties due to the project not being particularly noticeable and the community remained strong in its support for the family and their property rights.

The energy supplied by this community solar project was distributed to National Grid and thousands of consumers.