County opens bids for jail solar array; proposals vary from about $399k to $525k before incentives

Carroll County commissioners opened and reviewed three proposals for a rooftop/ground solar array at the county corrections facility on Jan. 30. Staff said proposals will be compared for price, production estimates and financing options, and that a Community Development Finance Authority low‑interest loan may be available to cover up to 80% of costs.

New England Clean Energy (Hudson, Mass.) presented a turnkey price of $433,827 (about $2.85 per watt) and said the net county cost could drop to roughly $260,296 after a 30% federal direct‑pay incentive and an additional 10% low‑income community bonus if the project qualifies. Barrington Solar’s bid came in at $398,839, while Revision Energy submitted a higher turnkey figure of $524,973 with an estimated net cost after incentives of roughly $374,614.

Commissioners and staff discussed procurement next steps: the solar committee will review and produce an apples‑to‑apples comparison of production estimates, lifetime savings and an internal rate of return (IRR) based on avoided utility costs. Staff also said they contacted the state Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) about a 2.75% loan program that could cover a large portion of the project to help align annual payments with projected energy savings.

Commissioners raised two operational questions for staff to resolve before a recommendation: whether a decommissioning bond is included or required, and whether the corrections department should be involved in installation planning to avoid conflicts with secure areas or site constraints. The board requested a clear summary of insurance implications and any decommissioning language in vendor proposals.

Next steps: the solar committee will return with a detailed comparison of bids, estimated production and a financing recommendation for commissioners to consider.