Town hall could be going solar in near future

The Mayor's Advisory Committee on Renewable Energy (MACRE) has zeroed in on town hall for its first solar panel project.

The committee evaluated energy consumption in all of the township's key facilities this year and decided that the municipal building should be given the "highest priority" for an energy audit and a photovoltaic cell study, said Thomas Brys, a consultant with the PMK Group.

"Our first order of business was to look at how they use energy in all of the facilities," he said during a presentation at the Oct. 28 Township Council meeting. "We identified town hall as the number one candidate. It made sense to look at town hall first."

Electrical use in town hall runs 2,029,000 kilowatts annually, at a cost of $330,000 per year.

"And that's [energy costs] expected to go up 5.25 percent in this area," Brys said.

Both Brys and Edward Mercer, MACRE group chairman, recommended that the township consider using photovoltaic systems (solar panels) in the municipal building.

MACRE group members visited Monmouth University recently to see how its photovoltaic energy system works, Brys said.

If the township officials decided to go with a PV installation company, "you basically sign on for 15 to 20 years," Brys said. "There is no upfront cost. You are basically financing the cost of the project on time."

The township could install 110 PV cells on the roof of the municipal building, and 24 pole-mounted PV cells in the parking lot, which would generate 154 kilowatt hours, Brys said.

"It's technically and economically feasible to install photovoltaics," he said. "We recommend installing them. The more the better. It's better economics all the way."