Solar Power Helps Pennsylvania School Save on Energy
Thursday, September 2nd 2010 4:48 PM
By GetSolar Staff.
Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania's school district went green in 2007 by adding solar power, installing geothermal heating and cooling and making other efficiency improvements at a middle school - and its investments are paying off.
The James S. Wilson Middle School saved an estimated $50,000 on its energy bills last year, the Erie Times-News reported August 29. With the new school year beginning, the savings can continue.
'The building uses less energy overall than it previously used. And the decline in energy usage is significant,' Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection sustainability coordinator Guy McUmber said to the newspaper.
Because air conditioning was added and the middle school was expanded, the school's electric consumption actually increased after the renovations. The solar power system did help offset some of the consumption gains, school officials said to the Times-News.
An estimated $5,300 in energy savings came as a result of the school's solar installation, the newspaper noted.
Millcreek Township's experience illustrates the savings that can come from making several green improvements at the same time - and suggests that solar power can be a valuable component of any building upgrade.
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Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania's school district went green in 2007 by adding solar power, installing geothermal heating and cooling and making other efficiency improvements at a middle school - and its investments are paying off.
