Williston to Install Solar Panels
On Tuesday, the 20th of January, guest speaker Kurt Penney, spokesman for the Industrial Roofing and Siding Company, spoke to the Williston community about the solar panels that will be installed on campus. His presentation and explanation included information on where the panels will be placed, the plan Williston used to purchase these panels, the benefits involved, and what restrictions there were during the planning process. The Sustainable Life Club hosted Mr. Penney to raise student awareness on solar energy and sustainability at Williston.
Two and a half years ago, Industrial Roofing and Siding approached Williston to ask whether or not they would be interested in having solar panels to power the school. In what Penney said was a short process, Williston was presented with a plan for panels to be installed on the south side of the Lossone Hockey Rink. The woods surrounding the building would also be cleared to put ground based panels in.
After some initial review, this idea was amended and the final plan began to take shape.
The current plan includes Industrial Roofing and Siding installing solar panels on the roof of the Athletic Center and on the south side of the Lossone Rink. The panels will face south on both buildings, increasing the energy production.
Penney also spoke about how Williston is paying for the solar energy produced and the power purchase agreement.
By using the power purchase agreement, or PPA as Penney described it, Williston will be purchasing energy from Industrial Roofing and Siding for the next twenty years at a fixed rate. According to Penney, this agreement costs much less than the previous contract Williston had.
With a fixed purchasing rate, Williston will know how much it will be paying for energy over the next twenty years and the cost will not fluctuate, unlike other fuel prices. Penney said, “If you asked me [the price of gas this year] last year I would have said four dollars. This year, it is two dollars.” With this agreement, Williston will be using clean, reusable energy without worrying about increased prices.
Hannah King ’15, co-leader of the Sustainable Life Club, commented on the short term affects of these new panels, “Specifically speaking of January and February, the process of putting up the panels will help spread the enthusiasm that we are looking for in the Green Cup Challenge. The campus would also serve as a great example for sustainable living.”
These solar panels will have a great impact on Williston’s future. King ’15 noted, “Overall, the school will lower its carbon footprint and become more sustainable; while in the long run, it will also lower energy bills for the school.”
Williston’s new contribution to the solar energy world will help improve the way the Athletic Center and Lossone Rink are powered as well as the rest of the campus. “Everybody [is] looking down the road,” Penney said, “[We look to] strictly do the right thing for the environment.”
The installation of these panels on Williston’s Lossone Hockey Rink and Athletic Center shows Williston is taking an active approach in clean sustainable energy for years to come.
