Burlington Free Press: Episcopal diocese, Burlington school launch solar project
Reposted from Burlington Free Press.
Rain and low clouds presented a dismal backdrop to Burlington’s latest and largest solar array, whose 35 solar trackers are expected to generate more than half of the electricity used by Rock Point School, officials said Tuesday.
At an unofficial unveiling of the 147-kilowatt project, the Rev. Thomas C. Ely, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, said the church’s and school’s commitment to renewable power indicates “that we care about God’s creation, and we care about its future.”
A glance at a compass and one array’s meter confirmed that the project was on track, albeit at a modest, midwinter pace.
Head of school C.J. Spirito and science teacher Kathy Rossman said the solar panels, which automatically pivot to maintain an optimum angle with the sun’s rays, would for decades remain part of the school’s science and economics curricula.
The diocese and Rock Point School, both of which are located on 130 acres at the northern edge of Burlington Bay, collaborated on the project.
Williston-based AllEarth Renewables, which designed, built and installed the trackers, will continue to own the GPS-guided units and sell power under a lease-to-own agreement.
Ely said the photovoltaic project is part of a long-term campaign to pare down energy expenses on the Episcopal campus (the school, diocese offices, a conference center and several residences), which will include staged efficiency measures and, possibly, geothermal heating and cooling.
The appeal of the project rests in a relatively modest up-front outlay of $34,800, Ely said, and savings at the meter will enable the diocese and school to set more money aside for other improvements.
The partners will buy power through AllEarth at subsidized rates, with the option to buy the array after five years at a substantial discount, AllEarth spokesman Andrew Savage said.
Contact Joel Banner Baird at 660-1843 or joelbaird@burlingtonfreepress.com. ead his blog at http://bit.ly/BairdsEye and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vtgoingup.
