Montgomery County Schools To Save $200,000 Annually with Solar

Maryland's Montgomery County Public School System is going solar with a 2.8-megawatt project at eight schools.

The new installations, being constructed by SunEdison and Standard Solar, will save the district approximately $200,000 each year at current utility prices and will reduce carbon emissions by 5 million pounds.

"Montgomery County Public Schools has a comprehensive districtwide program to reduce the environmental impact of its facilities through an environmental sustainability management plan, which includes generating solar power, recycling initiatives, energy conservation efforts and a commitment to green construction practices," said Andrew Zuckerman, chief operating officer for the school system, in a prepared statement. "We are excited about this project because it does more than just bring a substantial amount of renewable energy into the county; it also becomes a real-life science lab where our students can see solar energy at work."

Upon completion, scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year, the power plants will be operated and maintained by SunEdison, which has worked with the district previously.

"SunEdison has a long and successful track record helping school districts across the U.S. save money with solar," said Steve Raeder, SunEdison's managing director of Eastern U.S. commercial and industrial business, in a prepared statement. "This is our second consecutive project with the Montgomery County Public School system and we're honored to have earned their business again."

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

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