As one of the first thirteen Solar America Cities, Boston has a goal of increasing solar energy in the city to 25MW by 2015. Through Solar Boston, the program created to drive the goals in solar, Boston will develop a strategy for the installation of solar throughout the city, work with local organizations to make sure Boston is taking the most advantage of state incentives and financing initiatives, and create another non-profit organization that will take over from Solar Boston and will work to achieve the longer term goals of the city in solar and clean energy. The City of Boston and Solar Boston have worked together to publish a city map of clean energy installations, including biomass, hydro, wind, and solar, solar electricity and hot water being the majority. The map includes a landmark for Fenway Park, which in 2008 got a 17.23 kW solar hot water array installed by Vermont based groSolar. The map is a nice illustration of how much Boston has done so far, and how much potential the city still has for solar electricity and other clean energy sources.

Those that have chosen to go solar already are quickly seeing the benefits. Artists for Humanity, a Boston based group for intercity teens that helps develop artistic and entrepreneurial skills. The program has a strong focus on sustainability, with the knowledge that if Boston youths can learn what it means to be green, and just how easy and affordable it can be, then they will help educate the rest of the city. The EpiCenter (the headquarters for the program), was the first LEED Platinum Certified building in Boston and has a 49 kW array which provides more than 50% of the energy needed for the building. The solar electricity has saved the organization $66,000 per year in gas and electric costs since it was installed.

And more large commercial projects are planned for Boston in the near future. Just recently the Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs announced the second round of funding for Massachusetts solar projects. The fund is $4 million, which will be distributed between 446 projects in the state, which will total 3.8 new mW of solar in Massachusetts. Currently the largest solar electricity array in Massachusetts is a 1mW array for National Grid, the electric utility. The array is in Whitinsville, MA and is the first of five planned projects for the utility, all of which are underway to some degree. As well as being the largest array in the state, National Grid’s array is also the first utility-owned solar generation facility in Massachusetts. The array will offset 1.3 million pounds of carbon each year.