LEVERETT – Richard Nathhorst wants the town to save money with an electrical microgrid. What does he need to do it? Money.

“There is a large savings in the cost of the motors, the cost of installation, wire size, and electrical efficiency,” Nathhorst said. “Our folks at the Highway Department would like to run three phase compressors … The Fire Department would like to … compress air for self-contained breathing apparatus, and various other things. The elementary school would like to … run pumps and motors and furnace systems on three phase. When you get bigger buildings, it becomes desirable to have three phase.”

Nathhorst, a member of the Energy Committee, spoke with local representatives of Eversource. The utility has no immediate plans to put three phase power into Leverett. The Selectboard knows the usefulness of three phase power and a microgrid. Last year, it selected the project for submission for the One Stop grant program.

Three phase power in the Public Safety Complex, library and elementary school would boost the efficiencies and cost savings; but during a calamity, would there be power at all? Currently, not much. The public safety complex has two “elderly” generators in case of emergency. Maintaining a power supply in the face of increasingly disruptive storms would be an important benefit of the microgrid.

“Right now,” Nathhorst said, “nothing at the library and nothing at the school. [But] having the three buildings connected together on a three phase conductor would give us … back-up power to the three buildings, which could be very important in an emergency situation.”

Nathhorst, who found an ally in state Sen. Jo Comerford, explained the system would feature a solar array, ground mounted and on the roof of the proposed pavilion; a storage area of batteries located behind the police station; and a duct bank buried under the playing field, that would connect the library with the school and police. Set up for co-generation, a diesel engine would fill in the solar blanks.

“When daylight is limited, your photovoltaic is at its lowest,” Nathhorst said. “You might want to supplement that, and one of the ways is to run a diesel engine, generate electricity, then take the waste heat from the diesel engine to heat a building. It’s very popular in Scandinavia to do this.”

A diesel engine for the system would not be like the engine in a vehicle. The unit for a microgrid would be cleaner and quieter, achieve Environmental Protection Act benchmarks, operate automatically and be controlled by computer.

Nathhorst, a research facilities manager at UMass Amherst, doesn’t see any downsides to a microgrid, though some residents might be disappointed if the playing field is torn up. The duct bank, an arrangement of four-inch plastic pipes, bound together in plastic, then encased in concrete, would be buried under the field. After the grass grew back it would not be noticeable.

“Keep in mind,” Nathhorst said, “that the public library is interested in photo-voltaic energy generation because they put in a heat pump system.” Heat pump systems require electricity to operate. “They’re looking to generate some of that electricity with photo-voltaics to lower their electricity bill.”

Nathhorst emphasized a microgrid will give the town the versatility to deal with its energy needs, even in the event of catastrophic weather. If Eversource power to Leverett is out, the generators of the microgrid can supply electricity as needed.

Eversource representatives seemed to be supportive, until Nathhorst asked to set up a meeting. No response. The utility offered to build a microgrid for the town for $1.5 million, but the tax base could not support that expenditure. The company’s refusal to run three phase power into Leverett, however, is an indication of the benefits.

“It’s much more efficient, and much more economical,” Nathhorst said. “That’s why they don’t want to do it.”