A.D. Makepeace Co. is moving ahead with plans for two solar-energy projects in Wareham this winter, hoping to complete one as early as April.

“We see solar power as a great opportunity to use a small, secluded portion of our property in a way that has tremendous positive environmental impact and no negative impact,” said Michael P. Hogan, president and CEO of the A.D. Makepeace Company.

The two projects are proposed to provide enough power to service more than 700 homes and remove approximately 5.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the environment, according to the company's fact-sheet on the project.

A small photovoltaic panel array will be located on a 5.58-acre parcel at the company's Rosebrook site near the junction of Route 28 and 195. Currently landlocked, the site will be located in between the planned 68,000-square-foot medical-office building and the company's Tihonet Bogs.  Photovoltaic panels, often seen on the roofs of houses, absorb sunlight and convert its energy to electricity.

Appearing before the Selectmen on September 28 to appeal for a zoning change on the land, A.D. Makepeace said that the array would provide enough power for 110 homes. However, the power will mainly be used to supplement the power used by the Rosebrook Business Park, which is currently under construction and is scheduled to open this April.

A larger array, also using photovoltaic panels, is planned for a 38-acre parcel located off of Charlotte Furnace road.  The parcel is expected to generate 4 Megawatts of power (enough to power approximately 600 homes) when completed.  The project is being divided into four phases, with the final phase scheduled to be completed within three years, said Linda Burke, Director of Marketing and Communications at A.D. Makepeace.

The project site is also landlocked and surrounded by A.D. Makepeace-owned forest, ensuring that neighbors will not have views of the solar field.

"We're making use of property in a non-obtrusive way," said Burke, emphasizing a major goal of the project.

More importantly, however, the solar field is located alongside high-voltage power lines which can transmit the produced power to customers.

“Our proximity to the power distribution system makes this an efficient use of resources, and this is absolutely consistent with our mission of environmentally responsible land stewardship,” said Hogan.

The projects will be promoted in marketing the A.D. Makepeace developments to environmentally-conscious clients.

The company has investigated the possibility of renewable energy on several parcels of its land.  While they are proceeding with wind energy in the River Run development in Plymouth, the company found that solar provided a better opportunity in Wareham.  The area's high population density, and the diminishing wind resources as you move further from the shore made the solar project most feasible.

Solar "is certainly less controversial than wind, and we've got space," Burke said.

Both projects will be developed by Renewable Energy Development Partners, LLC, of Sandwich.  One of the firm's principals, Thomas Melehan, formerly worked for A.D. Makepeace company.

The projects will also add to the tax rolls of the town.  Both parcels must apply to the Board of Selectmen for a change in their zoning designation from agricultural to commercial industrial, which results in an increase in property taxes for the town.  The town has the right of first refusal on the land, but it chose not to exercise this right on the Rosebrook parcel.  It has not yet been asked for a zoning change on the Charlotte Furnace road parcel.