Solar Panels Brighten West Morris Central

The newly installed solar panels on the roof of West Morris Central High School are on average producing one-third of school's electricity, the Washington Township “Green Team,” was told Wednesday.

The team, Washington Township's sustainability committee, wanted to hear from four West Morris seniors who participated in a study of the solar power installation as part of their Advanced Placement Environmental Science course, said teacher Chris Kling. The students are Caroline Consul, Nicole Carey, Casper Huizenga and  Kevin Hollereach, all of Long Valley.

Green Team chairman Tracy Tobin said the panel is gathering information on alternative energy systems that could be applied in the township.

Hollereach  said the 1,131 solar panels were installed as part of the solar energy initiative started by the Morris County Improvement Authority.

The first $20 million phase of that program, known as the Morris Model, has just been completed. Contractors Tioga Energy and Sundurance Energy installed 13,629 solar panels on 19 schools and public buildings in Morris County.

The second phase of the program is being readied.

Hollereach said the county’s program saved the West Morris district over $1 million in construction costs and will save $13,785 on its  electric bill in the first year, a savings that increases to $29,086 in the 15th and last year of the Tioga contract.

He said the system provides a display inside the  school that shows a live reading of power use and savings.

Kling said several teachers in the school have used the display in  lessons.

Hollereach said the next project the school would like to consider is a parking canopy system at the high school parking lot.

Such a system was installed at the county’s Mennen Arena in Morris Township, he said. Solar panels are installed above a parking canopy.

The parking lot solar array could provide enough electricity to supply nearly 100 percent of the high school’s needs, he said.