A Wyoming County school district seeks savings from the sun.
Tunkhannock Area is the latest to pursue a solar project, joining districts across Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania that have already realized savings.
“If we're not looking forward and looking for creative ways to move forward, then we're actually going in reverse,” said Paul Dougherty, Tunkhannock superintendent.
Tunkhannock started to pursue the project about two years ago when electricity rates doubled. The district, with about 2,100 students in three buildings, estimated that electricity costs would reach $1 million.
The school board approved the project, through GreenWorks Development, with an 8-0 vote last month. Total cost for the project is $10 million, and the district will qualify for $4 million in federal credits. After using $2 million from the fund balance, the district plans to secure a bond for $4 million.
“And as the project gets paid off, as we pay down our debt service, potentially we'll be saving upwards of $700,000 or $800,000 a year,” Dougherty said.
The savings also takes into account the average cloud cover for the region, he said. Solar panels will be installed on the roofs of the three schools, and groups of solar panels, called solar arrays, will be installed behind the high school and primary center. Most of the district's energy will be generated from the sun.
The panels have a lifespan of 40 years and are 99% recyclable, Dougherty said. The district also plans to use the project for lessons on alternative energy.
Midd-West School District in Snyder County, and the Central Columbia School District in Columbia County also generate energy through solar projects.
In Pottsville, 40% of district energy comes from solar panels on the elementary, middle and academic center buildings. The district installed the panels in 2020 and has a lease until 2026.
From November 2021 to October 2022, the most recent cost savings comparison available, the district saved $151,333 in energy costs. The savings are after the district accounts for the cost of the lease.
Many members of the public have expressed skepticism about the project in Tunkhannock. Pottsville heard the same concerns four years ago.
“Because we've been making these annual reports, the public now understands that we are saving significantly,” Pottsville Superintendent Sarah Yoder said. And we're actually above what we thought we would save.”
