“Let the Sunshine In” was a popular song from the hit musical “Hair” way back in 1969.

But don’t be surprised if you hear that catchy tune being reprised by Springfield Township’s Board of Commissioners after Wednesday’s scheduled ribbon cutting for the township’s two new solar energy systems.

The ceremony was set to coincide with the Philadelphia Energy Authority’s Solar Week.

“The solar installation represents more than a single infrastructure project,” said Susanna Tatsavong, president of the Board of Commissioners. “It reflects Springfield Township’s commitment to thoughtful, long-term planning, responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, and environmental leadership. It is the next step of several sustainability initiatives the township is pursuing to strengthen municipal operations while building a healthier and more resilient community.”

Construction on the solar project began in May and was completed in early August. The 887 panels, with the solar capacity of 390 kilowatts of energy, are installed on the rooftops of the township’s police, administration and public works facilities. They will supply power to those buildings as well as the Free Library of Springfield Township.

Once fully operational, the panels will generate approximately 456,273 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, or roughly 89% of the township’s annual municipal electricity use, reducing the township’s long-term operating costs while increasing energy resilience.

“The less the township spends on municipal operating costs, the better it is for the taxpayers of Springfield Township,” said Joy Bergey, vice chair of the Springfield Township Environmental Advisory Commission.

The township commissioners started considering solar in 2019. That’s when the board and administration, collaborating with the community and the Environmental Advisory Commission, unanimously passed a resolution to make municipal operations cut greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible, known as net zero. The resolution had two dates associated with it.

“We said that by 2035, we would have all our municipal operations powered by clean sources like solar,” Bergey said. “And by 2050, all of our vehicles and building heat would be coming from non-fossil sources.”

Over the ensuing years, the price of solar installation fell. Then in 2022, the Biden Administration extended the 30% rebate on solar installation it gave to businesses, individuals, nonprofits and local governments, like Springfield.

The township’s administration and Environmental Advisory Commission members talked to other municipalities about going solar. Then last September, the board voted to solicit formal proposals for installing the panels.

“The commissioners clearly wanted to move to solar because it is a responsible way to use energy and to protect our children’s future,” Bergey said. “But it needed to be financially affordable and fiscally responsible. We managed to hit both of those targets.”

The total cost of the project is $629,125, according to a township press release. The township expects a direct payment of $188,738 through the federal investment tax credit. It also will receive $38,783 through Pennsylvania Act 129 (PECO’s Commercial Solar Incentive), and $250,000 from Montgomery County’s Montco 2040 Grant Implementation.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Shared Energy Manager Program provided the township technical assistance.

Based on the incentives and projected energy savings, the township expects the investment to pay for itself in less than three years, according to the press release. Those savings will begin as soon as PECO completes the interconnection.

“We’re working to make that happen in the next month,” Bergey said.