Friday, July 22, 2016
By Denise Dick
BERLIN CENTER
Nearly 400 solar panels line the roof of the Western Reserve Local Schools complex and are expected to cut down on the school district’s energy costs, provide educational opportunities for students and benefit the environment.
Valley Energy Solar of Salem earned a $100,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Energy for America Program grant to cover about 25 percent of the project cost. There is no cost to the school district.
“Western Reserve is setting a benchmark for not only other school districts, but for residents to follow,” said Erin Quinlan of Valley Energy Solar.
Officials unveiled the system at a Thursday morning news conference.
The company owns the solar-panel system and leases it to the school district for 15 years. During that time, the district will pay for energy provided by the system at a rate that’s 20 percent less than what the district pays now. At the end of the 15-year agreement, the school district will get all of the power generated by the system at no charge.
The system is expected to provide about 12 percent of what the school district uses on an annual basis, thereby cutting down on energy bills.
“This is a fairly large size for a school district and most businesses,” Dan Quinlan of the company said. “It’s the largest system installed for a school in Mahoning County.”
The system has a 30-year life expectancy, but Dan Quinlan said some similar systems have lasted for 40 years or more.
Valley Energy Solar estimates the school district will save about $2,400 annually.
Erin Quinlan said the school district will realize a substantial energy savings over 30 years.
She anticipates it producing about 137,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy annually, about enough to power 12 midsized homes.
Solar is a clean energy, so the system benefits the environment, too, Erin Quinlan said.
Besides the cost savings and environmental benefits, Superintendent Jeff Zatchok said the project also offers educational opportunities for students.
“STEM is a big push,” he said, referring to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The system includes a software package that allows students to watch the amount of energy being produced based on the weather of the day.
Tony Logan, director of the USDA’s Rural Development Ohio office, said REAP grants have funded renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects since 2009.
Such projects also include economic benefits, he said.
“Solar means jobs,” Logan said.