Green Jersey

School may go solar

Holland Township school is investigating a conversion to solar power, according to the Delaware Valley News.

The New Jersey Office of Clean Energy has made alternative energy more attractive to schools by setting aside money for those who use it. If Holland School converted to solar, it would cost about $281,000 to bond the project, according to the newspaper’s report; the district’s share of that would be $168,000, with the rest coming from debt service aid from the state.

Voters would have to approve this via a referendum, which could kill the project:

With the “current school funding climate and current economic climate in our country,” solar power may not be a funding priority for the district, said Business Administrator Abby Postma. “The safety and welfare of our students and staff takes precedence over these types of projects.” In particular, the school is in the process of planning an expansion of its parking lot.

However, said (School Superintendent Eugene) Costa, solar cells, which have a 25-year lifespan, could have “a very short payback time” through energy savings and “could be used to offset the tax base.” It would require a feasibility study.

“We could handle a pretty large-capacity system here,” said Dr. Costa.

The school could make its money back through solar power in four to nine years. It depends on a rebate and the energy credits received.