Kinnelon Schools to Host Solar Panels

Three  roofs will be home to solar panels soon as the Kinnelon Public Schools Board of Education approved a Morris County Improvement Authorities Solar Power Project Thursday night.

"We're looking at a projected $30,000 to $40,000 a year in reduced electricity costs because of this and it seemed like a win-win," Superintendent Jim Opiekun said.

Opiekun said Thursday the county will be responsible for the project and maintaining the solar panels, which, according to the resolution passed by the board, includes installation of ballasted solar panel roof systems on and . The district will not be seeking grant funding for the project, but the county will be able to sell the Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) and reduce costs for the district.

The district has been discussing the project for more than a year and the board authorized their intent to move forward with the project last April. The county is expected to pay for the project using a $60 million bond.

The project was last March, when the school district was placed on a county list for consideration of the project.

"It's just so exciting that a year from now, we could be talking about saving money from this," she said then.

Kinnelon is expected to generate 375 kilowatts of energy through the project.