Ellen Garrison approval included rooftop solar panels

Residents of Acton voted twice to build the Ellen Garrison Building at the Acton Middle School with the understanding that solar panels would be on the roof, and a solar canopy would be built over the parking lot. It has been almost a year since the school opened, and we are still waiting. 

The school administration placed significant restrictions on the timing of the work; that work must be done when the building is vacant. This is not reasonable. Workers were inside the building finishing work after students returned in February 2025. Solar panel installation workers complete most of their work outdoors and on the roof.

Acton is committed to combating climate change. We voted to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 and 80% to 90% by 2050. We need cooperation from everyone.

The schools share our town’s land, water, air, and electricity, and it would behoove them to be good neighbors. It never hurts to build goodwill — it might make it easier to accomplish future projects.

This year’s Town Meeting warrant includes an article requiring all new municipal buildings to include solar panels as an integral part of the whole project. Doing so will mean that there will be no impediments to installation like the ones we are experiencing at the Ellen Garrison Building.

The Acton Climate Action Network will invite the petitioner to tell us more and answer all your questions at one of our breakfasts before Town Meeting. We look forward to hearing more about this article. We urge residents to continue to encourage the school administration to finish the solar project we expected when we voted for the Ellen Garrison Building.

ConcordCAN hosts breakfasts on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:45 a.m. at First Parish in Acton.

Janet Miller
Main Street

Scott Richardson
Elsinore Street

Janet Rothrock
Annursnac Hill Road

Members, Acton Climate Action Network