TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. — Saving green while going green is the goal of the Tunkhannock Area School District as it inches its way closer to a major solar project.
"Costs go up every year. Just this past year alone, energy costs went up significantly," said Tunkhannock Area Superintendent Paul Dougherty.
The district's energy bills are currently more than $1 million. That's why Dougherty brought the solar energy idea to the district's chief operating officer, Charles Suppon, about a year and a half ago. Now, they're nearing the finish line of the project.
"Once we know what we kind of wanted to do, what our goal or a mission was, to try to offset some of the burden of a taxpayer and the bills on the district, and we kind of started rocking and rolling with it," Suppon said.
The district is still deciding if they want to lease or own solar panels, which would be housed on top of district buildings.
But Dougherty says both options will significantly cut down those energy bills and potentially save up to $1 million a year in the long run, saving the district tens of millions of dollars.
If they buy from the start, they'll get about $1 million in savings a year, with a 40% tax credit on the $9.5 million principal project.
If they lease, there's no upfront cost for five years, but then they'll buy it out for year six. The lease will cut the cost of the electric rate to about 4 to 5 cents/kilowatt. Right now, they're paying about 7/8 a kilowatt. This plan gets back about $350,000 a year in net cash.
"Number one at all, allow us to potentially not raise taxes, but I will also allow us to invest in our student programs," Dougherty said.
"The high school would have minimal ground arrays in areas that nobody sees. But they'll also be allowed to be accessed by the students for potential learning opportunities," Suppon said.
Administrators hope the project helps energize classrooms in more ways than one.
"If you look at renewable energy, there's going to be jobs. So, if we can give our kids a head start in potential job opportunities working in renewable energy companies, we're going to do it," Suppon said.
While the district is close to sealing the deal on this massive project, don't expect them to flip the switch any time soon. It'll be at least a year and a half to get the solar panel system up and running once it's approved.