Chester Solar Project Sparks Controversy

The installation of a series of solar panels on the grounds of Chester Consolidated School district sparked some controversy last week when a took issue with the project scale, scope and a perceived lack of checks and balances in the process.

Back in December 2008, the Morris County Improvement Authority (MCIA) launched a county-wide green energy initiative and invited all schools and municipalities to apply. 

The Chester Board of Education was rejected in the first round, but was accepted into the second phase of the program. According to the MCIA, five school districts will install solar panels with an average savings on energy bills after the first year will be 35 percent for the school districts.

The Morris Model is financed by the MCIA, with bonds guaranteed by the county, allowing our partners to reduce a portion of their energy bills without incurring any out-of-pocket costs.

That really was what made the project so attractive, according to Chester Business Administrator MaryJane Canose.

"We had the option of getting this project done without putting out any money," Canose said. "We don't even have to cut the grass. Why wouldn't we do this?"

According to the numbers in the memorandum (which is attached to this story), the projected annual savings would be around $63,000 a year, adding up to $946,043 over the 15 years of the lease.

Currently, the Chester Schools pay $.0113 per KHW, but the energy generated from the solar arrays would cost $.0667 KHW. 

The aims of the project were not what Curley had took issue with in his letter, rather it was the execution. In his letter he wrote:

"Anyone familiar with the schools knows there is preciously little open usable space at the schools.  There are no ball fields, or soccer fields.  Most of what little open space is there will in the next several weeks, be filled with industrial-sized solar arrays. The solar arrays at their peak will be in excess of 14-feet high, and will be surrounded by an 8-foot high black chain link fence.  The field behind Black River Middle School and next to the Chester Pool will also be filled with the same."

According to Canose, the installation will not be quite the way Curley describes (A photo of the chain link fence and the ground style arrays that will be installed are attached to this article).

"We have roof arrays being installed on the roof of the Dickerson Gym and the Kindergarten wing of Dickerson," Canose said. "We also have ground arrays being installed in the field behind Black River Middle School (photos attached to this article) and back by the school bus parking area behind Dickerson."

One resident, who would not share their name on record, called to express their concerns about the solar arrays filling the field in front of Dickerson, towering over 14-feet high. Canose says that will not be the case. The panels set up on the front field will be on a grade keeping them no higher than eight feet. 

"The group of panels in the field in front of Dickerson will only take up about a third of the field," Canose said. "They are going to be off to the side, back where we kept the trailers during a recent construction project. Most people never noticed the trailers when they were there."