The Town of Woolwich Solar Array

The Town of Woolwich solar array is a 308 kW municipal solar project that helps power town facilities with clean, locally generated electricity and reduce long-term energy costs for taxpayers. Brought online at the end of 2017 and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting in early 2018, the array consists of roughly 1,100 ground-mounted panels on about 1.4 acres of town-owned land.

Located off Middle Road, the project was developed to stabilize municipal electric bills, hedge against rising utility rates, and demonstrate Woolwich’s commitment to environmental stewardship and climate resilience. In its first year of operation, the solar farm produced around 28,000 kWh of electricity, just under its initial target of 30,000 kWh, with performance influenced by site shading and seasonal conditions. Over its lifetime, the array is expected to offset a substantial portion of the Town’s annual electricity use, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and keeping more energy dollars circulating in the local economy.

The Town of Woolwich now fully owns the Middle Road solar array, after completing the purchase of the facility from its private owner in 2025. The project was originally financed through a power purchase agreement structure that allowed the town to benefit from federal tax incentives via a third-party owner, with an option to buy the system after several years of successful operation.

Following a March 5, 2025 vote of the selectboard to finalize the purchase, Woolwich purchased the array using funds that voters had steadily raised in a dedicated solar account over multiple town meetings. With the acquisition complete, the solar array has become a long-term town asset expected to operate for 30 to 40 years, generating roughly 70% of the electricity used by Woolwich’s municipal buildings while locking in predictable energy savings for taxpayers.

Current power generation from the Woolwich municipal solar array