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Solar Installation Saves School District $12 Million

It's a big undertaking for an area whose population is just over 25,000, but Lacey Township, part of the New Jersey Shore region, is ready to install 7,000 solar photovoltaic panels on 120,000 square feet of roof on top of Mill Pond Elementary School.

Racks and rails are already in place, as is the wiring, slated to allow the production of 1,483 kilowatts of power (the local press said 383, but mistakes happen), or an approximate 1.5-megawatt system.

The installation is a result of a December 2008 referendum approving $19,9 million for the solar installation, as well as upgrades like window replacement, boiler upgrades and a new roof, all but the latter aimed at energy conservation.

The referendum met considerable opposition, in a newly emerging recession, but Lacey Township School District estimates - that the solar installation would save $12 million over the 25-year lifespan of the system - obviously instilled some voter confidence.

Since then, slumping solar prices and a contraction in the construction industry have provided even greater savings than formerly anticipated - the system is cheaper to install than expected, and solar prices have come down.

The market for renewable energy credits, or RECS, has also increased, at least in terms of solar. The District estimates RECs sold to utility companies (whose payments have increased from about $450 to about $650 per watt), will provide the District a tidy little cushion.

It's a win-win for the District and for the local utility, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCPL), which operates under New Jersey's clean energy mandate of 1,500 megawatts of solar power by 2020.

The solar project will also form part of a new clean energy curriculum at the school, allowing students to learn how solar energy works and to monitor the system via an interactive display.

With new roof installation preceding the solar installation, the panels are not affixed to the roof (which would void the warranty) but instead weighted in place. In spite of that, the solar system is expected to be able to withstand winds in excess of 110 miles per hour, according to Ray Angelini, Inc., the firm that installed solar panels on the Atlantic City Convention Center.

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