By Stephanie Vaccaro, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY Three schools in Montgomery are set to receive solar panels in the not-too-distant future.
The $11.2 million project, funded by the Somerset County freeholders at no cost to the district, was scheduled to begin installation in December 2010, but the contractor, Vanguard Energy Partners, was held up by state Department of Education and township filing requirements, said Thomas Venanzi, school business administrator and board secretary.
Montgomery High School will have a roof-mounted system, the Upper Middle School will have a ground-mounted system in the parking lot, and Orchard Hill Elementary will have a combination of a roof- and ground-mounted system in the parking lot.
The estimated annual savings are $279,000 the first year and will gradually increase each year since a lower rate will be locked in over a 15-year period, said Mr. Venanzi.
He said the district will track the first year of the project after installation to see how the projected savings matches with actual savings.
The project is scheduled for completion by Nov. 30, said Michael Amorosa, Somerset County Administrator.
Financing for the project will be handled by the Somerset County Improvement Authority.
”The Board of Freeholders has approved a county guaranty ordinance for $40 million in improvement authority bonds, half of which is scheduled for repayment within one year,” Mr. Amorosa said. “This funding will cover the project’s first phase, which includes 31 sites in 15 municipalities and school districts.”
”The county expects to recoup all costs, including those associated with hiring the legal and technical consultants who have developed the program, through the generation of electricity and sale of the corresponding solar renewable-energy credits, or SRECs, thereby making the entire project taxpayer-neutral,” Mr. Amorosa said. “The 7.6-megawatt size makes this one of the largest public solar initiatives in New Jersey.”
The project came about because the Somerset County freeholders asked municipalities and school districts if they were interested in renewable energy programs in their buildings, Mr. Venanzi said. After seeing there was initial interest, an application process was created where the municipalities and school districts were asked to submit project proposals for consideration by the county freeholders.
”We’re very excited to help schools utilize solar energy to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions,” said Vanguard CEO Jim LaFleur in a statement. “It is also rewarding to know that the schools will be using the arrays as a teaching opportunity for students and the community.”
