Renewable Energy

A livable future here in Nashua is one powered by clean, renewable energy like solar power and hydroelectricity. 

Renewable Energy Tour

Community Power in Nashua

The Energy Department is working hard to bring Community Power to Nashua. Community Power will allow the City to use its buying power, as a collective, to purchase electricity on behalf of its residents in order to maintain low energy prices and gain control over where our energy comes from. The utility will still maintain control of the delivery portion of the energy bill. To accomplish this goal, Nashua joined 12 other communities in the state to create the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. Together, the coalition is working to streamline the process for authorizing Community Power by sharing services and staff support, participating in joint power solicitations, sharing knowledge, collaborating regionally on clean energy and resilient infrastructure development, and advocating for Community Power to the legislature and Public Utilities Commission. Stay tuned for updates on the process. In the meantime, visit the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire website and the Community Power presentation slides to learn more. 

Livable Nashua's Energy Goals

Clean Energy and Reducing GHGs

Energy Manager Doria Brown talks through Nashua's big climate goals for clean energy and reducing GHGs.

Livable Nashua's Energy Goals

What is a Kilowatt Hour?

Ever read your energy bill and gloss over a kilowatt hour?  Energy Manager Doria Brown breaks it down!

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Hydro Power Production

Generating Our Own

The energy we use to light, heat, and cool, our homes and businesses comes from different sources. Some of these sources, like oil and natural gas, pollute our environment and are in limited supply. Clean, renewable energy, like the City-owned hydro dams generate pollution-free electricity for Nashua that is readily available. Nashua now owns two hydro dams; Jackson Mills and Mine Falls (acquired in 2017). The City is in the process of applying for a new license for Mine Falls and is upgrading the turbine at Jackson Mills as part of our commitment to renewable energy. 

UNIT
A megawatt hour (Mwh) is equal to 1,000 Kilowatt hours (Kwh). It is equal to 1,000 kilowatts of electricity used continuously for one hour. It is about equivalent to the amount of electricity used by about 330 homes during one hour.MWhMegawatt Hour
A megawatt hour (Mwh) is equal to 1,000 Kilowatt hours (Kwh). It is equal to 1,000 kilowatts of electricity used continuously for one hour. It is about equivalent to the amount of electricity used by about 330 homes during one hour.MWhMegawatt Hour
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Solar in Nashua

Powered by the Sun

Clean, renewable energy, like the privately-owned solar panels throughout Nashua, generate pollution-free electricity using a source that is in endless supply- the sun. Here we are looking at generation capacity – which is the maximum amount of electricity that could be produced by all of the solar panels in Nashua under perfect conditions.

UNIT
Kilowatts measure power. For example, the capacity of a solar panel. Kilowatt hours show the amount of energy generated or used in a given amount of time. For example, the amount of power a solar panel generated over a year or the amount of energy used by a building over a year. kW vs. kWhKilowatt vs. kilowatt hour
Kilowatts measure power. For example, the capacity of a solar panel. Kilowatt hours show the amount of energy generated or used in a given amount of time. For example, the amount of power a solar panel generated over a year or the amount of energy used by a building over a year. kW vs. kWhKilowatt vs. kilowatt hour

Solar in Nashua

Solar on Schools!

Big solar projects are on the horizon for Nashua's public schools as we turn empty roof space into an asset for generating clean energy. 

Teachers may not like smart phones in schools, but with the size of the solar project going in at Fairgrounds Middle School, you could charge over 69 million of them! Combined with the system on Dr Crisp Elementary, the schools will be producing the equivalent amount of energy as 140 single family households. Once the middle school is complete, Nashua will have 5 solar projects on our schools alone.

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Solar in Nashua

What You Can Do!

Reducing energy use and transitioning to solar is something that can be done on the individual level, as well.


One way to increase the percentage of clean energy powering Nashua is to reduce the amount of electricity we need
Both State and Federal incentives are available to install solar on your home
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