Wenham Select Board approves solar vendor switch, saving up to $300,000 on Town Hall project

WENHAM -- December 16, 2025, Wenham Select Board approves solar contract switch that cuts Town Hall project cost by up to $300,000. The board voted 4-0 Tuesday to authorize Town Administrator Steve to sign a purchase and installation agreement with Select Energy Development, replacing original vendor ESG after a state cooperative purchasing review showed a savings of roughly $250,000 to $300,000, about 40 percent, on the same rooftop solar array. The $580,000 project will require Town Meeting financing approval; a federal tax credit of $174,261 will follow approximately one year after installation, bringing the effective net cost to around $406,000, which staff project will be offset by reduced utility bills within 10 to 12 years. The non-refundable deposit rises from $10,000 under the ESG deal to $42,625 under the new contract, and the Finance Advisory Committee was set to consider releasing those funds the following morning. The board also voted unanimously to send a letter to MassDESE backing Hamilton-Wenham Superintendent Eric Tracy's November 6 position paper calling for reform of the state's Chapter 70 school-funding formula, which Tracy argues disproportionately penalizes small regional districts facing rising mandatory costs.