LAWRENCE: Lawrenceville School dedicates solar farm

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   Cloudy skies that threatened to rain gave way to bright sunshine Friday afternoon, just in time for The Lawrenceville School’s ceremonial dedication of its 6.1-megawatt solar farm, which is now up and running at the school’s Woods Memorial Hall.
   Headmaster Elizabeth Duffy welcomed the audience, noting that once school officials decided to move the ceremony indoors, “the sun came out.” Nevertheless, the solar farm is an exciting milestone in the school’s history, she said.
   Ms. Duffy said that Wesley R. Brooks, the school’s chief financial officer, cautioned her that the solar farm project “might feel like riding a roller coaster (with) a lot of twists and turns.” It turns out that he was right, but overall, it was an “exhilarating” experience, she said.
   Leita V. Hamill, who is vice president of The Lawrenceville School’s board of trustees, said “today’s inauguration of the solar farm is dedicated to the memory of Ralph Copleman.” He was the executive director of Sustainable Lawrence until his death in 2011.
   Mr. Copleman “readily agreed” to join The Lawrenceville School’s Board of Trustees Ad Hoc Committee on Sustainability and never missed a meeting, Ms. Hamill said. He challenged the committee to think “critically, carefully and big,” she said.
   Mr. Copleman’s inspiration buoyed the committee as it met with numerous obstacles to the solar farm, which Ms. Hamill called “a project so ambitious for a mere school.”
   But Mr. Copleman’s example moved the school to do something that could benefit the community, said Ms. Hamill, who also serves on Sustainable Lawrence’s board of directors.
   ”I hope that as Ralph is shining down on us today, he is as proud of us for fulfilling the promise of light as he is for knowing that on sunny days, pure, clean overflow solar energy is spreading out into the homes and businesses of his beloved Lawrenceville. Ralph, today is for you,” Ms. Hamill said.
   Joyce Copleman, his widow, said the solar farm is a testament and a tribute to her late husband. He had “a big footprint, although he encouraged a small (environmental) footprint,” she said. He worked until the day he died as the executive director of Sustainable Lawrence, she added.
   State Sen. Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr., (R-13th Legislative District), told the audience that the school “is in the forefront of a new arena.” The school’s solar farm is one of the largest in the state, he said, adding that he is proud that it will generate enough electricity to meet about 90 percent of the school’s electrical needs daily.
   ”It will offset 6,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. That’s a whole lot of cars taken off the road,” said Sen. Kyrillos, who graduated from The Lawrenceville School in 1978. He added that he was also proud that the project provided work for members of 12 labor unions.
   ”This project, and others like it, will drive down our dependence on foreign oil,” Sen. Kyrillos said.
   Harold N. Kamine, chief executive officer of KDC Solar LLC, which owns and operates the solar farm, said it was the result of “a lot of hard work.” The $26 million project, which was begun in September 2011 and finished in March, took 22,000 man-hours to complete.
   KDS Solar TLS, which is a subsidiary of KDS Solar LLC, is leasing 30 acres from The Lawrenceville School for the solar farm. It has agreed to sell electricity generated by the nearly 25,000 solar panels to the school for a low, fixed rate.
   ”We think the project is critical to the short term and long term health of New Jersey. We are looking forward to producing clean solar power for the next 20 years,” Mr. Kamine said. The school has leased the land for the solar farm to KDC for 20 years.
   Trustee Peter Schweinfurth said the solar array had its humble beginnings as a casual idea that garnered some champions and that soon took hold in the hearts and minds of the trustees, the faculty and the students.
   ”From thought to action is very powerful. I ask you to place sustainability in all of its forms at the center of your thinking and actions for the benefit of all of us,” Mr. Schweinfurth said, as he read a Navajo prayer blessing that ended with the phrase, “May the sun always touch your shoulder.”