Danvers, MA In 2014, MRS Management and Property Development announced the completion of a state of the art, 160,000 s/f indoor sports complex, for client Clasico LLC. The project was built by Connolly Brothers of Beverly and is one of the largest of its kind in the country. As an encore, MRS recently announced the commissioning of a 1.3MW rooftop solar photovoltaic array at the sports complex. The electric plant is also one of the largest of its kind. MRS became committed to generating electricity from solar as a progressive value-added component to the overall scope of what was a real estate development project.

Lead developer and consultant on both the construction of the building and the solar array, Mark Mscisz co-principal of MRS said “with such an expansive roof and the right economics, convincing our client to invest in renewable energy was easy.”

IRC Solar Roof Systems and the IRS Industrial Roofing Companies of Lewiston, Maine were hired as the design / build contractors. IRC specializes in commercial roof solutions. A complete structural analysis was conducted to understand the building capacity in anticipation of large seasonal snow events. Critical engineering determined a module layout for 5,200 panels maximizing the roof space, a mounting solution to avoid roof penetration and an electrical integration to the municipal grid.

MRS selected another New England company, Solectra of Lawrence, Mass., to provide the commercial inverters for the system. Inverters provide the electrical integration and monitoring required by Danvers Light Company, the town’s municipal provider of electricity, as part of ongoing production and reporting.

Through a Power Purchase Agreement, MRS negotiated a long term agreement to sell all of the production to Danvers Light. This is the first commercial rooftop solar project in Danvers and adds to the booming growth of solar generated power in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts has emerged as a national leader in renewable energy produced by solar. In 2014, the state accounted for more solar energy than the entire country in 2007. This amazing growth has been stimulated by the 30% Investment Tax Credit offered by Washington, the Solar Renewable Credit Program at the state level and net metering at the municipal level. According to Mscisz, “in order to sustain the solar industry, federal and state lawmakers must continue to support these programs that supplement the economics of the commodity pricing until the market matures.” As the cost of providing solar continues to fall, more American households will turn to solar to reduce energy budgets. Solar at the utility scale now accounts for 63% of total solar capacity. As part of a balanced energy portfolio, providers use solar to improve grid reliability and add relief to the existing energy infrastructure by reducing transmission losses and grid congestion. By the end of 2016, the U.S. will be producing enough solar energy to power 8 million homes, offsetting 45 metric tons of carbon emissions. “We have come a long way in a very short time,” said Mscisz. “With the right market conditions the U.S. will continue to replace carbon producing plants with clean renewable energy sources.”

For more information about MRS Management and IRC Solar Roof Systems, visit them online at mrsapts.com and ircmaine.com

Project team included: • Developer: MRS Management and Development • Solar Design/Construction: IRC Solar Roof Systems • Legal: Burns & Levinson LLC • General Consultant: Meridian Engineering • Building Contractor: Connolly Brothers