Town of Andover Awarded Grant for Installation of Solar Lights Along Playstead Field Walkway

December 5, 2023 

Since its completion in 2021, the paved walkway along the northern edge of the World War I Memorial Playstead has substantially improved pedestrian access to key destinations including the Robb Senior Center, the Cormier Youth Center, The Park, Town Offices, Doherty Middle School, and Downtown Andover. The pedestrian route has been a welcomed enhancement to students, seniors, and persons with disabilities, and has provided a significant benefit to residents of the 200-unit Andover Housing Authority property located behind the field complex. 

In November, the Town of Andover was awarded a grant of $147,421 through the Merrimack Valley Renewal Fund that will enable further enhancements to this frequently used walking corridor through the installation of solar powered streetlights along the pathway. 

The grant will fund the purchase and installation of sixteen solar powered streetlights. Twelve of the units will be used to illuminate the pedestrian walkway, and the remaining four will be positioned to light the adjacent parking area off of Chestnut Court, also added during the 2021 project at the field complex. 

The use of solar powered lighting means that the enhancement will result in no additional greenhouse gas emissions or added electricity costs to the Town. Compared to conventional LED streetlights, the sixteen solar powered lights are anticipated to avoid 54.6 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and save $23,126 in electrical costs over the course of their estimated 22 year life.

The Town of Andover maintains a network of more than 1,800 streetlights across the community. The Town intends to evaluate the performance and resilience of the solar LED streetlights at the Playstead to determine their viability in illuminating other popular routes in the future, including those adjacent to schools, public facilities, recreational areas, and parking lots. 

The grant application was led by Director of Sustainability Joyce Losick-Yang.

“This grant award will enable the Town of Andover to implement a sustainable solution to enhance the safety and accessibility of a heavily-utilized community amenity,” said Losick-Yang. “The project will provide an immediate benefit to users of the walkway through the Playstead, which includes many disadvantaged residents, and will benefit the Town in the long-term by serving as a pilot of the use of solar streetlights. We are grateful to the Office of the Attorney General and DOER for recognizing the value of this project.” 

The Merrimack Valley Renewal Fund (MVRF) was established as a component of the 2020 settlement with Columbia Gas, and is jointly administered by the Office of the Attorney General (AGO) and Department of Energy Resources (DOER). A total of $41 million was allocated to the fund to support the development of new programs that will deliver emergency efficiency benefits and reduced energy bills for primarily low-and moderate-income residents of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover. 

The Town of Andover previously received a $500,000 grant through the MVRF to support the installation of solar panels at Sanborn Elementary School, the first rooftop solar system at an Andover Public Schools facility.