In the News Transcript issue of Dec. 3, you wrote about the Marlboro K-8 Board of Education authorizing a $13,500 study on the feasibility of installing solar panels on two school buildings (“Feasibility Study Looks at Solar Panel Options”). I really have to wonder about the level of astuteness of the board members.
Board members Cynthia Green and Michael Lilonsky admitted that they had no intention of presenting homeowners with a big ticket project like a solar panel installation. Ms. Green even noted that the return on investment probably would be poor. Good for them. Then why abstain or vote yes on the vote to authorize funds for a study? What’s wrong with no?
And the others, for whatever reason, just “need an idea of the costs involved.” I did a search of “solar panel calculator.” On the first page of hits is a simple but sophisticated calculator at www.findsolar.com. Entering my ZIP code, my public utility and my monthly average usage, I got a rough estimate for my house in 10 seconds ($25,000). If I knew the district’s average monthly usage I could come up with a number in 10 more seconds.
Of course, if you are ready to spend, you won’t rely only on a calculator. You will call in actual suppliers for site surveys and estimates. But, according to the article, no one is ready to spend. Meanwhile, the feasibility study will be obsolete in a very short time.
Return on investment is the key number and it depends on a lot of conditions, especially fossil fuel prices. On July 1, gas was $4 a gallon, supposedly heading for $5. No one thought it would be $1.63 on Dec. 1.
What would a study of solar panel return on investment from five months ago be worth now? Also, the technology is progressing and someday the return on investment may be attractive. Today it’s not. If it were, everyone would have panels. They don’t.
The part of the article that was most annoyingwas board member Terry Spilken saying, “I think there’s no greater educational tool we can do for our children then to show them how to conserve energy…”
So now the panels represent an educational project? How about showing them how to conserve money? How about keeping things on a business-like footing and realizing that our children don’t spend a lot of their leisure time thinking about solar panels?
Leon Goudikian
Freehold Borough

