The Edge Sports Center, 191 Hartwell Rd., signed a deal with Revolution Energy LLC to install a 485 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof of the sports center. The deal with Revolution Energy will see The Edge Sports Center generate roughly one half its electric needs from their own rooftop, while helping to substantially reduce the arena's environmental footprint. This development will be one of the largest solar arrays on a sports arena in the Commonwealth and will be an example to other sports facilities in the region.
In Brian DeVellis' eyes, one of the Edge's founding members, this project brings the facility into a new class of its own for athletics and sustainability. "Over the past year we have been introduced to the significant benefits and opportunities potentially available to The Edge by going solar," said DeVellis. "We've seen a lot of the State embrace this technology and we said 'why not us?' We save energy, we save money, and we can serve as a positive example to the young athletes who use the facility regarding the benefits of sustainability."
The solar array is expected to generate roughly 575,000 kW a year according to Revolution Energy. Under a Power Purchase Agreement, or PPA, Revolution will install, own, and maintain the array while providing for the electricity needs through the agreement. Over the past several years PPA's have gained significant ground in the solar world given the ability for the host, in this case the Edge Sports Center, to simply pay for the energy generated from the array and avoid the up-front cost for the installation of the system. In this project The Edge has agreed to purchase all of the generated electricity the array will produce from Revolution Energy for the next 20 years, at a cost lower than they would otherwise pay for energy from the grid.
"We see this project as a win for everyone at The Edge," said DeVellis. "The athletes that use our facility will be playing in an arena that understands the need for a more sustainable way to continue providing the high quality sports programs we have become known for."
"The current opportunities available to facilities like The Edge is significant," said Mike Behrmann, principal and co-founder of Revolution Energy. "The members at The Edge have seen the potential to save energy, along with being a model for sustainability for athletic facilities. They took a shot and will score big."
Representatives expect the development to begin soon with a likely commissioning date in the late winter or early spring.
Built in 2007, The Edge has provided a wide variety of athletic opportunities for the surrounding communities, including being the home of the East Coast Wizards, Lexington/Bedford Youth Hockey, and the Bedford and Concord-Carlisle High School hockey teams.