by Shane Henson — July 2, 2012—School officials at Delaware Valley Friends School (DVFS) can expect to spend less money on electricity bills and more on what students and teachers need most now that Hudson Energy Solar (HES) Corporation has completed the installation of solar rooftop panels for the college preparatory school located in Paoli, Pennsylvania. (Watch a time-lapse construction video of the DVFS solar energy project on YouTube.)
According to HES, a company that provides commercial and residential customers with renewable energy solutions, the solar rooftop panels will supply approximately 30 percen t of the school’s energy and save hundreds of thousands of dollars for the school over its 20-year contract. As per the agreement, HES will own and operate the systems for 20 years, and sell the electricity produced back to the school at a significantly reduced rate through a power purchase agreement. With no upfront fees needed through this type of agreement, customers like DVFS pay only for the power generated by the system, providing them with significant savings on their electric bills.
The school’s 85.6kW rooftop solar electric installation began as an effort to reduce energy costs, but has brought a greater return on investment than imagined. The system is expected to decrease the school’s carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3.7 million lbs., which is equivalent to reducing the consumption of 204,450 gallons of gasoline over 25 years, notes DVFS staff.
“We are so excited to see this project come to fruition,” said Pritchard Garrett, head of school at DVFS. “Going solar allows us to partner with both state and local government, as well as the business community. It provides our students with a living laboratory to study energy production, conservation and cost efficiency, and will represent a significant savings to the school in terms of energy consumption.”
