News
Thanks to grant, green energy in Mohonasen’s future
Dec. 21, 2009
For years, Mohonasen staff members have been saving energy – and money – by making a concerted effort to turn off the lights when they leave a room and turn off computers when they aren’t in use. However, soon Mohonasen’s energy program will enter the 21st Century with the use of 21st Century technology.
Thanks to the district’s energy manager, James Dilbone, Mohonasen recently received a more than $250,000 grant from NYSERDA (the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) to install a photovoltaic (PV) system – or solar panels – at Mohonasen High School. Once the system is installed, it will generate approximately 60,000 kWh of energy and save the district roughly $9,000-$10,000 annually.
A larger savings
While the total cost of installing the system is estimated to be $286,500, $257,850 of that cost is coming from the NYSERDA grant (as part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). The remainder – $28,650 – will be paid by the district. According to Dilbone, agreeing to pay at least 10 percent of the total project cost improved Mohonasen’s chances of receiving the grant.
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Kathleen Spring, said the district’s share of the total cost may be part of an upcoming capital project or it may come from existing funds. However, once the PV system is up and running, the ultimate savings in energy costs will more than pay for the district’s share within three years.
“The PV system won’t cut our energy bills in half or anything, but it will reduce them,” Dilbone said, pointing out that over a 25-year period Mohonasen is expected to realize a more than $118,000 reduction in energy costs.
Estimated electricity production for the PV system is anywhere from 2,000 to 7,000 kWh per month, depending on the time of year. The high school/middle school campus currently uses approximately 200,000 kWh a month.
However, both Dilbone and Spring agree that the ultimate savings will be measured by much more than dollars.
“How do you put a price on giving high school and middle school students exposure to this kind of system? We will be able to enhance our curriculum and teach our students how this kind of energy is produced, how it works,” Dilbone said.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy, this type of PV system will produce approximately 1.5 million kilowatts of energy during a 30-year period. This amount of energy is equivalent to 2,955 barrels of oil.
It also equates to:
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A reduction of 10,916 pounds of acid rain;
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A reduction of 5,240 pounds of smog emissions;
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A reduction of 2,066,739 tons of greenhouse gases; and
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4,949 mature trees.
