Loker Elementary School’s new rooftop solar array was officially celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Town Administrator Michael McCall credited Assistant Facilities and Sustainability Director Abigail Shute, former Facilities director Ben Keefe, and Michael Faia, who currently leads the department, for seeing the project through multiple stages of development. He also welcomed Olivia Blaney, the new sustainability coordinator.
Supported by 95% of voters at the 2021 Annual Town Meeting, the project is expected to provide 46% of the school’s electricity usage from the 109.9kW DC system and save the town approximately $430,000 over 25 years with a Power Purchase Agreement (ATM21 Article18, amended ATM24 Article 18).
The town worked with PowerOptions, a nonprofit energy-buying consortium with 500 members that is dedicated to empowering other nonprofit public entities. Through their solar program the town was able to partner directly with Solect Energy, a Hopkinton-based installer. This approach offered Wayland enhanced protections, more competitive pricing, and a streamlined procurement process.
PowerOptions Senior Vice President Kristen Stelljes cited the town as a model for other municipalities seeking sustainable energy solutions. As of May 2025, the solar array is fully operational, and production statistics can be tracked online using the QR code at the end of this story.
Select Board member Doug Levine praised the initiative, calling it an example of financial and environmental stewardship. He said the town would continue decarbonizing municipal buildings and electrifying the vehicle fleet in accordance with its Climate Action Mobilization Plan.
The Sustainability team has helped secure over half a million dollars in external grants, incentives, and funding over the past two years, lowering project costs, supporting public engagement, and advancing the Town’s sustainability goals.
State Senator Jamie Eldridge, presenting an official Senate citation, noted that retrofitting and integrating solar with existing school infrastructure is a significant achievement. Eldridge also highlighted the $50,000 state grant presented in February to MassEnergize’s plugIN Metrowest initiative, which promotes electrification through rooftop and community solar, as well as heat pump adoption.
Superintendent David Fleishman acknowledged the importance of student engagement, emphasized the importance of students seeing “new ideas and clean energy” in action and credited the long-term persistence of town officials and volunteers. Loker School Principal Brian Jones recalled how the roof leaks had their own specific buckets and would not be missed. Jones described how Loker’s “educating for sustainability” curriculum will be able to use the solar array to teach students about renewable energy technology, lowering their carbon footprint and being responsible community members.
Energy and Climate Committee member Ellen Tohn emphasized the financial and environmental returns of solar, citing the town’s existing four canopy arrays at the middle school, high school, Department of Public Works, and town building. Tohn said those projects generate more than 120 kilowatts annually and will continue doing so for two decades. She reaffirmed the committee’s 2030 target to offset all municipal emissions through onsite generation and renewable energy credits.
A Decade-Long Project
John Harper, who led the solar implementation for the committee, described the project’s evolution over a decade, including downsizing to accommodate the 60-year-old building’s structural limits. He credited Solect Energy and PowerOptions as essential long-term partners and read from a petition authored by Happy Hollow School students who advocated for solar at their school in hopes for a healthier planet.
Byron Woodman, Solect’s Senior Director of Business, noted that the Loker array was installed during the COVID-19 pandemic and applauded town staff for navigating logistical and budgetary hurdles. He also confirmed that Solect is currently installing solar at the new Wayland Community Center, which was designed with solar integration in mind.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority approved a $1.2 million grant in February of 2020 to assist with the roof replacement costs. The appropriation for the full replacement of the Loker Elementary School’s leaking roof was $4.3 million (ATM20, Article 19). The Town had paused the solar array project from 2021 to the summer 2022 to enable installation of a new roof and energy-efficient electrical system upgrades. The roof replacement part of project was completed in March of 2023.
