Berkshire Eagle Article

MoCA receives grant
Museum gets $700,000 for solar panels
Berkshire Eagle | July 6, 2006
Christopher Marcisz, Berkshire Eagle Staff

NORTH ADAMS — The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art has been awarded $700,000 from a state trust fund to pay for solar energy panels and energy efficiency technologies.

The $700,000 grant was announced yesterday by state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the museum. It will be used for a 50-kilowatt solar energy installation, energy-efficiency equipment, and an educational display about the project.

"The energy cost escalation over the last three years has become our largest line item," said MoCA Director Joseph Thompson. "We simply have to get control of our energy profile or suffer the consequences, and this grant is a first step in that direction."

Renewable Energy Trust funding

The grant comes from the state's Renewable Energy Trust, which is funded through a surcharge attached to customers' utility bills. It is administered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and has funded more than 500 projects around the state. It made awards in excess of $40 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

"This is a large grant from us," said Warren Leon, director of the trust. "It's at the upper end of what we normally do with grants, and we are quite comfortable doing it in this case because it has three components, all of which will be valuable."

Thompson said the efficiency measures include improvements to the massive facility's heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

"These don't sound exciting, but they'll save significant dollars," he said.

The 50-kilowatt solar array will be installed on one of the museum's roofs. Officials haven't determined which one yet.

"It's relatively small given the size of the facility, but we think it will help with some peak demand during our summer months," he said.

Finally, Thompson said the education element will be to find ways to show visitors how even a giant, drafty old complex can take steps to improve its energy efficiency.

"Our visitors are people who are very interested in new ideas, and are open to progressive ideas about renewable energy of all kinds," he said. "We'll use this opportunity to educate people about the economic advantages of conservation and new energy production."

Bosley, who is House chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, described the project as a "ground-breaking initiative."

"(MTC) recognizes that Mass MoCA serves as a center of innovation in the Northern Berkshire community and the introduction of solar photovoltaic cells at the museum will serve as a demonstration project for the entire Commonwealth on the uses and cost savings that energy efficiency and renewable energy resources can provide to residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations."

Similar projects in North County include a nine-kilowatt array set up atop Venable Hall at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, which was installed earlier this year. The $100,000 project was funded with grants from the MTC and the U.S. Department of Energy.