"Depending on who you talk to, there's something like 19 provisions in total that could benefit solar energy," Chleboski said.
One provision would lift a cap on federal tax credits for solar-powered hot water heaters, Artner said. Heat-Flo of Hopedale manufactures these devices, and Jay Santello, a Franklin contractor who installs solar equipment, said he uses a sun-powered hot water heater at his own home year-round.
"My hot water is fantastic and my gas bills have gone down substantially," Santello said.
The stimulus plan also would make it possible to convert certain commercial tax credits for solar grants. These credits might have been attractive to companies in the past, but they became less so as companies saw tax bills drop anyway because of diminishing profits, Chleboski said.
Read the full article on renewable energy in the Milford Daily News here
Go green, get green.
Local residents and businesses have taken the message to heart, installed solar energy systems and received rebates from the Commonwealth Solar program, an initiative launched last year to encourage renewable energy use.
CommSolar, an offshoot of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, has approved nearly $22 million in rebates for 539 solar photovoltaic projects since its inception in January 2008.
Read the full article on the opportunities to save money by converting to solar electricity in the Milford Daily News here
The Franklin Area Climate Team (FACT) had sponsored several evenings on renewable energy at the library. You can review the notes and presentations here.
Driving past the King Street ball field one afternoon, Army Airborne veteran and DPW Director Brutus Cantoreggi noticed something awry - a flagpole missing its American flag.
Not only was the flag missing, but so were the lights that should be illuminating it at night, he said.
"When you display an American flag, it's supposed to be lit at all times" though the town couldn't afford to pay for a lighting system at the field, Cantoreggi said.
"As a veteran, I do like to see all American flags illuminated," Cantoreggi said.
So he secured a U.S. flag and a $6,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative for a solar-powered light, which the Department of Public Works installed last week, he said.
Franklin was one of the first 20 communities in the state to apply for and receive such a grant, he added.
"We get the best of both worlds. We get to light the flag, which is the right thing to do, and it doesn't cost anything," Cantoreggi said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Just in time for the town's Earth Day celebration April 19, the public works department has installed two $4,000 solar-powered trash compactors on Main Street and at the Beaver Pond recreation complex.
The "BigBelly" cordless trash compactors can hold up to 200 gallons of garbage - up to six times the typical load, said Denise Zambrowski, Environmental Affairs Coordinator for the Department of Public Works.
"It's really a neat invention. Using solar energy, it will help us maintain a neat (town), just controlling litter and trash in our parks, in our ball fields.
"It's a really interesting invention to help us deal with solid waste management in public places," said Zambrowski, who first learned about BigBelly at an energy efficiency workshop.
Read the full article at the Milford Daily News
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The town of Franklin on Saturday opened its new fire station on West Central Street. The new 22,250 square foot station more than twice of the facility it replaced, which was built on the same site in 1922 and demolished last year.
This is the complete article but you can click through to see the photo at the Milford Daily News.
