Last week, we celebrated the end of a process that started back in 2017 with Phil Krape’s first analysis of solar prospects for First U. There had been bursts of activity and pauses along the way but we are near completion. The switch will be turned on Thursday, December 30, to activate our own rooftop solar panel farm. For a photo gallery of the installation process, please click here.
Some key highlights:
- Our 95 panels have a 35-kW capacity, enough to produce 38,600 kWh of power per year. That is about 27% of our electrical usage.
- Cost savings including sale of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates are expected to be about $4,000 per year.
- Plus, pollution savings are about 35 tons of CO2 per year!
- The total cost, $72,900, was reduced thanks to the State of Delaware for an anticipated grant for half the price that brings our cost down to $36,400.
Thank You and Appreciation:
- 45 donor families and individuals who contributed $41,410 to fund the panels and provide a $5,000 maintenance/repair fund.
- The members of the Solar Team who shepherded the project thru thick and thin – Renee Anderson, Ray Iannuzzelli, Marty Peres, Richard Speck, Jim Weddell, and valued advisor Phil Krape
On December 19, we blessed the solar panels and welcomed the winter solstice.
