Housing authority plans solar panel installation on land adjacent to Hempfield Towers

The Westmoreland County Housing Authority is moving ahead with the purchase of 6 acres behind Hempfield Towers.

Officials plan to build a solar farm on the property to provide power solely to the 202-unit affordable senior apartment building.

“We don’t have a sales agreement at this point on that, but we certainly have the intent to purchase that land,” said Mike Washowich, executive director.

Board members this month authorized him to proceed with the purchase of the vacant land from Westmoreland County. Officials have been discussing the project since this spring. The proposal calls for the installation of thousands of solar panels.

Having the solar panels provide electricity to Hempfield Towers will result in a tremendous savings to the authority, Washowich said.

“We pay full utilities in that building,” he said. “That’s even more of a reason to develop it.”

Estimates peg the project at $2 million. Washowich said the authority could be eligible for a 50% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act for such projects.

The authority has in recent years implemented solar power. Solar panels were installed on the roof of South Greengate Commons and its sister building, Odin View Apartments in Hempfield, as well as at Grand View Senior Residences, which opened this year in North Huntingdon.

Use of solar power elsewhere in Westmoreland County includes:

• A 10-acre solar farm became operational in 2021 to power the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County’s sewer plant in Hempfield. It operates with nearly 11,000 solar panels and produces about 3 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year.

• More than 3,200 panels installed in 2021 along the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass in Hempfield help power maintenance buildings.