This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

A Perfect Choice

I write today concerning solar energy and its viability for North Haven public schools. I would like the school system to strongly consider applying solar panels to the roofs of the elementary schools, specifically Ridge Road School.

I attended Ridge Road and have lived next to the school on Crestview Drive for almost my entire life. The school’s roof gets a great amount of sunlight exposure and would be a perfect choice for solar panel installation. Out of all viable energy sources, solar is widely considered the most benign and environmentally friendly; it produces virtually no greenhouse gases or pollutants. By installing solar panels, our town would be doing our part in stepping away from fossil fuels and making the necessary transition to renewable energy. It would also set an example for the towns around us to make a similar change in energy sources.

I understand that most North Haven residents would be hesitant about the high cost of solar energy. However, since 2008, the cost of solar energy, measured in cost per unit, has plummeted to more reasonable prices ($7.50 per kilowatt-hour in 2017). After the short-term financial hit, our energy production would exponentially increase using solely clean energy.

I am not proposing that we switch the entire school’s energy source to solar immediately. I simply want the school system to consider making a partial changeover in the short term that might lead to a full switch in the long term. Renewable energy will inevitably be in our future, so it is in our best interest to explore it as soon as possible.

Patrick Grudberg

North Haven