School Board Will Seek Proposals for Solar Panels at 5 Schools

The school district is expecting to put out a call on Wednesday for proposals to install solar panels on the roofs at five of the district's six schools, and also on a parking "canopy" at Ridge High School. The project potentially could provide funding for leaky school roofs. 

The Board of Education on Monday voted 7-2 to authorize its architect to seek proposals for the project. Tony Cantana, director of building technology for the Spiezle Architectural Group, said the proposals should be back by the end of May.

Until then, Cantana told the audience and board members, he can't say how much the district could save on energy costs by allowing a private vendor to install the panels on school property. School officials decided to drop the possibility of allowing a ground installation of solar panels at the Mount Prospect Elementary School. The idea of placing panels on a parking canopy at the William Annin Middle School also has been abandoned.

"We have been criticized for not thinking outside of the box," said Board Member Bev Cwerner, who voted in favor of seeking bids. She said allowing panels on school property not only could bring in money for the district, but it also is good for the environment.

The remaining project, which could cost a power provider roughly $7.5 million to construct, even without paying for roof improvements, calls for panels on the roofs of the middle school and three elementary schools, Cedar Hill, Oak Street and Liberty Corner.

According to the plan, the panels also would be installed on a parking canopy, 13 1/2 feet high, that would cover the back student parking lot at Ridge High School. Panels could cover approximately 100,000 square feet of space on the parking cover or the roofs, Cantana estimated.

Cantana said the bid requests would be structured in such a way to seek proposals for what the district's financial return would be either with or without the vendor picking up the cost of repairing roofs at the three elementary schools.

"We won't know about all of the economics until we get the bids back," School Business Administrator Nick Markarian said. "We are trying to achieve $780,000 worth of roofing work," he added.

Cantana said he would expect that the district could likely recoup that amount, and also the $180,000 already spent on design work for the project.

But Board Member Michael Byrne, who voted against the proposal, said he wanted to have a firmer estimate of how much money the district might expect to save by allowing the panels to remain on school property for at least 15 years.

Byrne said he wasn't satisfied with the potential for annual savings if a proposal also only covers the cost of the roof repoairs, and the design costs.

Board member Susan McGowan also voted against the solar proposal, said she doesn't like the aesthetics, and believes the canopy at Ridge High School would be an "eyesore" as well as a hazard with teenaged drivers. 

Cantana said the proposed canopy, lit from underneath, would be "ribbons" of covering, separated by open spaces. He said the poles to support the canopy, spaced out about 30-feet apart, would withstand being hit by a car.

Board member William Koch pointed out that board members don't have to vote on whether to go along with the project until proposals are received. "I am inclined to go with it, but we will get more information," he said.

Board President that the board would need to vote on Monday if the district hoped any approved project might be installed over the summer.