— Photos courtesy of City of Somerville

17,000 sq ft array brings City closer to Climate Forward goals and long-term energy savings

This week, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Somerville Public Schools students and staff, and city staff celebrated another step in Somerville’s climate action efforts at a ceremonial ‘flip the switch’ event for a new solar panel array at Somerville High School.

With nearly 17,000 square feet of solar panels, this marks the second solar installation for Somerville Public Schools, following an installation at East Somerville Community School. Together, these systems reflect the goals outlined in the City’s Climate Forward Plan, a comprehensive roadmap to achieving carbon-net negative emissions and building a resilient, equitable future.

The new array will produce nearly seven million kilowatt hours of clean energy over its lifetime—equivalent to approximately 7.5 million miles of travel in a gas-powered car or truck. The project is also expected to generate more than $1.2 million in energy savings for the community. 

“This array puts into action our student’s, the City’s, and the school’s shared commitment to addressing climate change and creating a better future for all,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “I want to thank the students who attended, as well as the city and school staff. Together, we’ve taken our Climate Forward plans right off the pages of the plan and made this step a reality.” 

To learn more and keep up with the continued progress of Climate Forward, visit somervillema.gov/climateforward.