Put Photovoltaic Panels

On The High School

To the Editor;

Regarding the high school renovation and addition project and the middle school roof repair project, I would implore the planners and designers to investigate the use of photovoltaic panels on the roof to produce electricity. This technology is viable today and schools are the perfect place for it. The current state of the art is to convert sunlight into electricity in real time and feed it directly into the electric panel. No batteries are involved. Depending on the size of the array (of PV panels) nearly all of the electric needs of the building can be produced during daylight hours. During the night and overcast days the system draws from the grid. On weekends, vacations and during the summer the panels will continue to produce electricity that is fed onto the grid thereby causing the meter to spin backward and create a rebate. The estimated payback period is eight to ten years and the minimum life expectancy of the panels is 30 years. The eight- to ten-year payback period is based on 2007 electric rates and it would be a fair guess to think that the rates are going up thereby shortening the payback period.

The added cost of the panels can be paid off long term in the bond issue and the annual operating costs would be significantly reduced immediately.

We have to start taking responsibility for our energy needs and this is an excellent way to do it.

David Kingsley

20 Maltbie Road, Newtown                                              May 18, 2008