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10/06/2015 12:00 AMAt a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 6, students, faculty, and administrators celebrated the completion of 132-kilowatt roof-mounted solar installations at Lewin G. Joel, Jr. School and Jared Eliot Middle School. Combined, the two photovoltaic solar arrays are expected to produce 325,000 kilowatt hours of clean electric energy per year.
“Projects at these two schools began in 2014,” said Paul Gebauer, chair of the Clinton Energy Committee. “The installations are now working to full capacity.”
Formed in 2013, the committee aims to cut costs and increase energy efficiency for the town’s residential, commercial, and municipal consumers.
“Clinton is committed to renewable energy, which will reduce our carbon footprint and make us self-sufficient in the future,” said First Selectman Willie Fritz, who commended Gebauer and the committee for their work thus far. “Great job.”
Under a power-purchase agreement with Middletown-based Greenskies Renewable Energy, which designed, developed, and financed the school installations, the Town of Clinton has agreed to purchase 100 percent of the electricity produced at the sites at a fixed, discounted rate. Greenskies owns and will maintain both solar installations for the next 20 years at no cost to the town.
Gebauer estimates that each school’s solar array will save the town $18,000 to $20,000 per year.
“We’re very excited about these projects for a number of reasons,” said Superintendent of Schools Jack Cross. “We want to be responsible members of the community, so going solar is right up our alley in terms of energy conservation and reducing our environmental impact. It’s also an opportunity to engage kids, and it allows our faculty to embed lessons about our solar projects in the curriculum, particularly in math and science.”
Cross said Abraham Pierson School’s slate roof was determined unsuitable for a solar array; however, the new Morgan High School could be a candidate for a rooftop installation in the future.
Brrr-ing It On
Colder temperatures around the corner promise to raise heating costs—as well as questions about the efficacy of solar panels. The fact is, winter weather can either boost solar output or reduce it, said Gebauer.
Heavy snow accumulations last year, which limited the amount of sunlight passing through the schools’ solar panels, diminished their energy output. On the other hand, when solar panels are clean, Gebauer explained, snow cover on the ground acts as a mirror.
“The reflection off the snow actually results in a higher energy output.”
Schools aren’t the only buildings in town going solar. In 2013, Clinton joined the Connecticut Solar Challenge, a nonprofit pilot program designed to put more solar panels on rooftops by making installations accessible and affordable to residents. Gebauer’s household is one of 25 that have signed on so far, and more homeowners are expected to take the challenge over the next year. A free workshop at the Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 7, allowed resident to learn how energy audits and solar technology work, as well as what financial assistance and incentives are available to them.
For every kilowatt of solar energy installed by Aegis Solar (the vendor Clinton selected for its residential challenge), the town earns free solar arrays. Clinton has already earned a free 3kW array for municipal use. If the town reaches 200kW, it will receive an additional 6kW array.
Clinton’s solar initiative reflects a larger trend toward sustainable energy; nationwide, the installation of solar panels grew by more than 50 percent last year.
For more information, visit ctsolarchallenge.com.