Solar panels on top of Dublin Fire & EMS recently got closer to becoming a reality, after Select Board Chair Sue Peters signed an agreement with 603 Solar.

The proposal has been in the works since last year, but issues surrounding government grant funding have delayed the project. Dublin’s application to the New Hampshire Department of Energy was approved in November with a kickoff anticipated in January. This was postponed pending clarification from the NHDOE as to timing and funding, but a kickoff meeting was held online last week bringing the DOE and representatives from Clean Energy NH, 603 Solar and Dublin together. 

“The installation period is estimated to last around 45 days, prompting discussions about potential delays in reimbursement from the department,” stated Paige Relf, a DOE program specialist. “The funds come from the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program – Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 2021.”

The project will include 39 panels and microinverters on the roof of the station. The original grant request from the town was $45,343, but permitting and transformer upgrades and interconnection costs must be borne by the town, reducing the award to $43,843. 

K Vanderbilt, deputy chief/EMS of Dublin Fire & EMS, and Town Administrator Kate Fuller will deal with grant administration and compliance with DOE reporting requirements, and Fire Chief Tom Vanderbilt will handle matters relating to the fire station and infrastructure. James Finnegan, vice chair of the Energy Committee, will act as a liaison with 603 Solar, with Peters also providing oversight of the project.