AMHERST — The rooftops, parking lots, and grounds of Amherst Regional Middle and High Schools are identified in a report as the best city-owned and Amherst school-owned sites for solar panels and battery storage.

Whether the authorities will pursue such renewable energy projects at the identified locations, however, may depend on obtaining more information, including whether the college roof can support the installation of photovoltaic panels without significant investment.

Findings on the best municipal properties for renewable energy are included in the “Amherst Solar and Storage Assessment” prepared by the Cadmus Group of Waltham using an assignment from the representative of the State Mindy Domb, D-Amherst.

“This is an overview of the potential for generating electricity through photovoltaics and also using battery storage or energy storage systems to store energy and use it in schools or in the network,” facilities supervisor Rupert Roy-Clark told the regional school board. at its October 25 meeting.

The report notes that the models are based on 20 years of operation, and it provides an analysis of the estimated lifetime net present value savings, or NPV savings, over this period compared to the so-called “business as usual”.

“Lifetime NPV savings are largely determined by the site’s solar potential and the battery size required to meet demand during an outage,” the report authors write. “Sites with higher solar potential (e.g. all school sites) have greater lifetime NPV savings, while sites with limited solar potential and a large battery size requirement – ​​especially substation policies – have a negative lifetime NPV relative to the status quo.”

The lifetime net present value savings are $2.88 million for middle school and $960,448 for high school, when the batteries that would be included are sized to provide power for a 24-hour outage.

Other sites examined included Bangs Community Center, Police Station, North Fire Station, Crocker Farm Elementary School, Spring Street and Pray Street parking lots, Boltwood Parking Garage and Field Cherry Hill golf course.

These 10 sites currently use approximately 3.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, costing the city more than $620,000. They have the potential to house up to 3,826 kilowatts of direct current of new solar photovoltaic capacity, enough to generate around 4.6 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity per year, and offset 128% of electricity demand on site of these facilities.

The report notes that the maximum NPV savings of $4.1 million could be realized under circumstances where all batteries are sized for a 24-hour outage, the police station battery would be sized to meet half of the on-site load of this building during an outage. , and the strategic felling of some trees at Bangs and Crocker Farm to increase solar potential.

Roy-Clark notes that the potential savings of $3 million to the college would be offset if significant investments were to be made in the roof. A December 2017 report showed the roof needed about $2.47 million in replacements and repairs, according to an independent engineering consulting firm. At the time, the schools applied for funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Before proceeding with any plans, Roy-Clark said Cadmus may need to better define each building’s critical load and functions needed for short- and long-term power, and re-engage with the city and schools to obtain new data for new LED lights and air conditioning, as well as the growing fleet of electric vehicles.