By BRIAN IANIERI (Published: Thursday, April 09, 2009) Staff Writer, 609 463 6713 STONE HARBOR - Borough Council awarded a $438,500 contract this week to place solar panels on the roof of the borough's Public Works building on 81st Street.Stone Harbor awarded a bid Tuesday to George Sparks Inc. for the project, Administrator Kenneth Hawk said. The solar panels are expected to create about 60,000 kilowatt hours per year. The borough is getting a state grant that will pay for about one-third of the project. The borough also plans on selling Solar Renewable Energy Certificates under a state program that requires electric suppliers to invest in solar energy. The suppliers can buy certificates from solar energy producers, including municipalities. Because of the rebates and grants and the electricity savings, Stone Harbor's project could pay for itself in five years, Hawk said. And it could expand to other borough buildings. "We wanted to do this building first because we saw the most energy savings down there," he said, "but it could be extended to Borough Hall or the firehouse." The project will place about 286 panels on the roof of the Public Works building on 81st Street. Officials said they will not be visible from the ground. Stone Harbor joins a growing list of county municipalities to look to the sun to power their municipal buildings. West Cape May put solar panels on its Borough Hall. Last year, Ocean City put solar panels on several municipal buildings as well. And in February, county freeholders adopted an energy master plan to analyze the county's approximately 80 buildings to determine what forms of alternative energy could be used and how much power they could provide.
This technology should have been incorporated into the new Town Hall construction. The school board should look into retrofitting their facilities with this technology now that the costs and paybacks are real.
-- Edited by Admin on Thursday 9th of April 2009 08:19:53 AM
Why isn't the school board doing this? Interesting that the Dems are speaking out a week before the election.
The Dems are always speaking. The problem is nobody is listening. The Dems have for months posted information about solar panels being put in schools and municipal buildings countywide.
Why isn't the school board doing this? Interesting that the Dems are speaking out a week before the election.
The Dems are always speaking. The problem is nobody is listening. The Dems have for months posted information about solar panels being put in schools and municipal buildings countywide.
Interesting that the Dems are speaking out against the school board right before the election. Do they want to see a change at the schools?
Who is speaking out against the school board. We are asking the school board to start thinking about this technology in the current elementary project and any projects moving forward.
Why isn't the school board doing this? Interesting that the Dems are speaking out a week before the election.
The Dems are always speaking. The problem is nobody is listening. The Dems have for months posted information about solar panels being put in schools and municipal buildings countywide.
Interesting that the Dems are speaking out against the school board right before the election. Do they want to see a change at the schools?
Why are you attacking ideas that are good for Hammonton? FYI, Dems are always speaking and it appears we have your attention: GOOD! Many communities in our very own county are putting solar panels on various municipal buildings and schools. We're almost a decade into the 21st Century yet our Town is not thinking progressively into the future. More effort was put into putting bricks downtown than on what's best for ALL of Hammonton for decades to come.
Who is speaking out against the school board. We are asking the school board to start thinking about this technology in the current elementary project and any projects moving forward.
I am not sure Loretta Rehmann is going to take the title "We sit back as technology and taxpayer cost savings pass us by" as a happy thing.
Who is speaking out against the school board. We are asking the school board to start thinking about this technology in the current elementary project and any projects moving forward.
I am not sure Loretta Rehmann is going to take the title "We sit back as technology and taxpayer cost savings pass us by" as a happy thing.
Are you saying that taxpayers should not give good ideas or give good suggestions if it makes "ELECTED" officials unhappy? Be for real. The school board has made great progress with the school construction, working hard to comply with Bush's NCLB accountablity standards, and providing quality education for our kids. Hammonton has state of the art facilities sand quality educators. Does that mean we should not comment or give suggestions? Until Hammonton moves forward and catches up to other communities even in our own county in regards to technologies such as solar panels then YES, we are SITTING BACK and SAVINGS are passing us by.
