The city of Fairfield is starting construction on its first renewable energy project.
Fairfield is breaking ground Monday on a five-acre solar array next to its wastewater treatment plant on Groh Lane. Assistant City Manager Adam Sackenheim says the solar panels will provide about 65% of the electricity needed to power the utility.
“It's going to help us save money,” Sackenheim said. “It's going to help us reduce our environmental footprint.”
Fairfield decided to pursue renewable energy initiatives and efficiency projects when city council adopted the Fairfield Sustains plan in 2024. Sackenheim says it made sense to undertake the first renewable energy project at the wastewater treatment plant because it’s the single largest energy user of all the city’s facilities.
“This year, 2026, we would spend about $370,000 in electric for the wastewater treatment plant without the solar array — it’s a big ticket item in our operating budget,” Sackenheim said.
The city expects to save $2.5 million over the solar array’s 30-year life expectancy. Melink Solar is constructing the 1.5-megawatt array.
The project costs $2.9 million. It will be paid for, in part, by a federal tax rebate.
Sackenheim says Fairfield can justify the capital cost of building the solar array because of the increasing cost of electricity.
“Where the city in the past was paying 3.9 cents per kilowatt hour for its electric energy — a very, very, very low rate — now, we're paying closer to 8 cents per kilowatt hour,” Sackenheim said. “Just in the last three to four years, our electric rates, like everyone, have doubled. And we don't see that slowing down.”
He says he hopes having the solar array will help Fairfield keep sewer rates stable.
The project also is set to reduce the amount of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions that come from powering the wastewater treatment plant.
Sustainability Program Manager Gillian Hart says Fairfield intends to do more projects like this in the future.
“Because this is our first large scale utility solar project like this, this is going to lay the groundwork for future efficiency and energy projects that pertain to our sustainability action plan,” Hart said.
The solar array is expected to be operational by this summer.
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