Central Vermont Public Service Corp. (CVPS) has received approval from the Vermont Public Service Board (VPSB) for its plans to build a 50 kilowatt (kW) solar array along Route 7, just south of the black water tower near the CVPS Rutland District Service Center. CV Solar and Wind, a Rutland company, and ReKnew Energy Systems Inc. of South Royalton will oversee construction of the project with assistance from Stafford students.

Several elements of the project have been planned and will be built or installed by Stafford Technical Center students, including a shed, signage and landscape designs.

“We believe this will become the preeminent educational site in the state for renewable energy,” CVPS President Bob Young said. “Combined with a local hydroelectric station, Glen Station, which sits just across the road, the solar project will provide a working classroom for students interested in how energy can be produced through clean, renewable sources.”

The educational aspects of the project prompted special note from the VPSB, which also highlighted local students’ involvement.

“Unlike most utility projects reviewed by the board, the project is designed to be highly visible in order to fulfill one of its intended purposes – public education of photovoltaic projects,” the VPSB said. “The integration of educational materials and interpretive signs into the project design, along with the proposed installation of new plantings, represents appropriate mitigation for any changes associated with the removal of existing trees… Parking and pedestrian access, educational signs, plantings, and the equipment shed, all designed by local high school students at the Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, are intended to enhance both the appearance of the site and the educational value of the project for local students and the general public.”

Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers will complete the high-voltage electrical work. The project will include about 265 solar panels, each 3 by 5 feet wide, arranged in 33 post-mounted arrays.

The project is the latest in a long line of renewable energy ventures at CVPS. The company owns 20 hydroelectric facilities scattered across the state, pioneered energy production from methane through CVPS Cow Power, and is funding studies on energy production from lake weeds and farm-grown algae. CVPS was the first utility in the world to put wind-generated electricity onto the grid in 1941.

“CVPS has always had a low-emission power portfolio and a tradition of exploring and educating our customers about new technologies,” Young said. “This project will be a continuation of that tradition.”

Construction is expected to begin in earnest after Stafford students return to school in the fall.