West Morris Solar Energy Installation to Save Money

A total of 19 Morris County sites located on 16 school and government facilities received solar energy installations recently, according to a press release. Those 19 sites include West Morris Central High School, four in Parsippany and three in the Morristown area.

Tioga Energy and the Morris County Improvement Authority (MCIA) of New Jersey announced the information this week on the projects, the first to be financed through the public-private collaboration known as the Morris Model.

The Morris Model is a public/private financing partnership between MCIA, Tioga and SunDurance Energy. According to the release, the solar projects will create an immediate 35 percent reduction in electricity bills, saving the county an estimated $3.8 million over the course of 15 years.

In Parsippany, Brooklawn Middle School, Littleton Elementary School, Troy Hills Elementary School and Central Middle School all received solar installations.

In the Morristown area, Mennen Sports Arena, the Schuyler Annex and the Schuyler Parking Facility received installations.

According to the release, in January 2010, MCIA issued $22.3 million in low-interest government bonds to finance the projects. As the developer, Tioga owns, operates and maintains the solar installations and sells the electricity produced by the systems to the county’s schools and local government agencies at a fixed rate for the duration of a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA). New Jersey-based SunDurance Energy provided all design and installation services.

“Tioga Energy has been an invaluable partner, both in developing the unique financing structure of the Morris Model for the first time and in the smooth delivery of these projects,” Morris County Freeholder William Chegwidden, liaison to the Improvement Authority, said in the release. “The success of the Morris Model establishes Morris County as the nation’s foremost example of how the government and the private sector can work together to adopt ambitious renewable energy programs swiftly and affordably.”

The following is a complete list of the 19 installation sites, where they are located and their size.

• Boonton High School; Boonton; 155.48 kW
• School St. Elementary School; Boonton; 50.83 kW
• John Hill School; Boonton; 23.92 kW
• Voter Machine Tech Building; Hanover; 101.66 kW
• Schuyler Annex; Morristown; 26.91 kW
• Schuyler Parking Facility; Morristown; 77.74 kW
• Mennen Sports Arena; Morris Twp; 1572.74 kW
• Morris Knolls High School; Denville; 38.87 kW
• Morris Hills High School; Rockaway; 80.73 kW
• Mountain Lakes High School; Mountain Lakes; 98.67 kW
• Wildwood Elementary School; Mountain Lakes; 74.75 kW
• Parsippany Brooklawn Middle School Parsippany; 173.42 kW
• Littleton Elementary School; Parsippany; 23.92 kW
• Troy Hills Elementary School; Parsippany; 86.71 kW
• Central Middle School; Parsippany; 185.38 kW
• West Morris Central High School; Chester; 260.13 kW
• West Morris Mendham High School; Mendham; 189 kW