Private Elementary School Goes Solar

A private, all-girl elementary school in New Jersey is getting its own solar installation with the help of a state program that finances clean energy projects.

According to information released this month by Arosa Solar, the company that will install the solar system, Bais Rivka Rochel received a 0 percent loan under the Clean Energy Solutions Capital Investment loan program administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority in order to help defray the cost of the project. Arosa helped the school obtain the loan. The program has since stopped accepting applications, according to information on NJEDA's site.

Arosa said the 330 kilowatt installation will save the religious school thousands of dollars per year in energy costs and help reduce the school's carbon footprint.

"We are proud to be one of the few that persevered to see this loan thru to its end. With this investment we can help this New Jersey school go solar and save over $55,000 a year and conserve almost 5,000 barrels of oil," said Shimmy Tessler, owner of Arosa Solar, in a prepared statement.

Arosa said that most such systems pay for themselves within four years and then start generating income for the school. This is the second such school installation the company has performed recently. The previous one was back in November at Bnos Bais Yaakov, an all-girl high school in New Jersey.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • robot typing on a computer

    Microsoft Unveils 'Computer Use' Automation in Copilot Studio

    Microsoft has announced a new AI-powered feature called "computer use" for its Copilot Studio platform that allows agents to directly interact with Web sites and desktop applications using simulated mouse clicks, menu selections and text inputs.

  • AI microchip under cybersecurity attack, surrounded by symbols of threats like a skull, spider, lock, and warning shield

    Report Finds Agentic AI Protocol Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks

    A new report from Backslash Security has identified significant security vulnerabilities in the Model Context Protocol (MCP), technology introduced by Anthropic in November 2024 to facilitate communication between AI agents and external tools.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Introduces Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.