'Inside Ridgefield Town Hall' For Mar. 31

The"Inside Town Hall" series is a bi-weekly update written by Gillian Sheerin.

"Soaking Up the Sun at RHS"

The Ridgefield High School parking lot will soon be the source of a great deal of energy!

This summer, a solar canopy will be installed over the student parking lot, with the goal
of reducing energy use and costs. The canopy, which will be funded through
Eversource’s Zero Emissions Renewable Energy Credit (ZREC) program, will provide
1.2 megawatts of solar power, allowing the school to purchase energy at a reduced
rate.

The project is expected to begin at the end of the school year and continue for the
duration of the summer. During construction, parking will be available and scheduled
programs and events will proceed as planned.

The high school, which already has a roof solar array in place, is one of seven
Ridgefield schools that have been updated with solar energy equipment. Farmingville,
Barlow Mountain, Ridgebury & Scotland Elementary Schools, as well as East Ridge &
Scotts Ridge Middle Schools are all currently equipped with roof solar systems.
Branchville Elementary is undergoing roof installation now and Veterans Park
Elementary is in the pipeline. In addition, Barlow Mountain is scheduled to receive its
second solar array this fall.

The schools are not the only town buildings using solar energy. The Venus Building and
Yanity Gym have both started generating energy from their solar panels this past
January and are expected to save the town an estimated 20K a year.

“Ridgefield is committed to increasing the use of solar energy where ever possible,”
commented Jake Muller, Director of Facilities & Purchasing for the Town. “Garages 1
and 2 at the Highway Department are next in line to receive solar panels on their roofs.”

In addition to financial advantages, solar panels help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and mitigate climate change. With a long list of benefits and no cost to the town, this
venture is a win-win!