Parsons Commercial Group greens 35 Lyman Street, Northborough property

When many commercial building owners in Massachusetts think of "going green," solar is now one of the top three ideas on their lists. Thanks to attractive state and federal incentives, "making green" is now a real opportunity for property owners that are using their roofs to generate revenue by installing renewable solar energy systems. Parsons Commercial Group (PCG), a commercial real estate property management and brokerage firm based in Framingham, Mass., saw the opportunity to turn the roof of one of the properties in its portfolio into not only a revenue generator for the company, but also a cost saver for other buildings within its portfolio. This spring, PCG partnered with Solect Energy Development, LLC, of Hopkinton to install a 479 KW solar photovoltaic (PV) solution on the roof of its building at 35 Lyman St. in Northborough. To complete the install, the 85,000 s/f roof needed a portion replaced to meet the requirements for solar installation. "Working with Solect made the project seamless. Their expertise and approach to customer service made this a great project for us," said John Parsons, president & CEO of Parsons Commercial Group. The 35 Lyman St. tenants - Active Logistics and ViewPoint Sign and Awning -- have partnered with PCG on the project, and are now "green" by using the renewable energy generated from the solar system on the building's roof. The system produces more energy than is needed at 35 Lyman, so PCG is also able to take advantage of Net Metering and be credited for "extra" energy generated at the site to reduce energy costs at other properties in its portfolio. PCG truly understands the real financial benefit building owners and tenants can achieve through the deployment of renewable solar energy solutions. By taking advantage of the state and federal tax incentives available for solar, PCG will see a four to five year payback on their investment and recognize a significant cost savings for years to come. James Dumas is a principal with Solect Energy Development, LLC, Hopkinton, Mass. and is a monthly contributing Solar Developer author for the New England Real Estate Journal's Green Building section.