BOE prez: Solar panel system would pay for itself
September referendum planned for 'win-win' project, Woska says
BY DANIELLE MEDINA Correspondent

Voters here will go the polls in September to decide whether or not the school district should install solar panels at Brick Township Memorial High School.

"This is a win-win situation for the taxpayers and the students," Board of Education President Daniel J. Woska said last week. "Besides the economic advantages, this project offers children a classroom experience in solar energy."

The plan calls for the installation of a 525KW photovoltaic (PV) panel system on the roof at Brick Memorial. The panels, which are made of silicon, convert sunlight directly into electricity.

The cost of the system installed is $4,775,782, but if the district receives a $1,250,000 credit from the New Jersey Clean Energy Program (NJCEP), the final cost would be $3,525,782, school officials said.

The district is currently on the list and is awaiting the approval of the NJCEP credit incentive.

The annual cost to the district would be $271,048.53 for a 20-year loan at a 4.5 percent interest rate, less $108,419.41 for the state's 40 percent debt service on the principal and interest, bringing the final cost to $162,629.12 per year.

By installing the system, the district would avoid yearly energy costs and receive solar renewable energy credits in the amount of $246,750.

"The power companies are required to buy back the energy we generate," Woska said.

The installation would result in a positive cash flow to the district of $84,120 annually. The district would have a positive cash flow of $1,682,417 over the 20- year period.

If the district does not receive the NJCEP credit, there would still be a positive cash flow of $26,463 annually, and $529,276 over the 20-year period.

The district's yearly cost would be $220,286.22, which includes the $146,857.48 credit from the state's 40- percent debt service on the principal and interest.

"This is a positive cash flow project," said Woska. "It costs the taxpayers nothing."

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epresentatives from the Trentonbased

Spiezle Group, the architect of record on the project, presented the environmental benefits of installing a 525KW PV system to the Board of Education at the June 26 meeting.

Over a 30-year period, 4,305 tons of carbon dioxide emissions would not be released into the environment, which is the equivalent of planting 1,291 acres of trees and not driving 11,838,750 miles.

The PV system also has educational benefits as well. It is an interactive teaching tool for math and science classes that displays online, real-time energy-generation data collection. Students will be able to see how weather and available sun impact power generation, Spiezle representatives said.

An interactive kiosk would be placed in the Brick Memorial lobby.

District Business Administrator James Edwards said that Brick Memorial was chosen to receive the solar panels because of the size of the school's roof and the fact that it was replaced in last July.

School officials will spend the next two months trying to convince taxpayers that the project is the right thing for them, the district and the environment, Woska said.

District officials plan to provide parents with information at the district's back-to-school nights in September. They will also meet with various senior citizen groups, he said.

"It's the perfect time of year for a referendum," Woska said. "The information is still fresh in their minds from back-toschool night."

Spiezle Group is also currently preparing informational handouts, Woska said.

The polls will be open for the special election from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 30.