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SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — As construction work to build the new South Kingstown High School continues, officials have started to do some research at the town council’s request about what comes next after everyone moves in. One of those research topics is putting solar panels on the high school roof.
At the latest town council meeting, Phil Conte, who’s one of the architects on the project, updated the council on the feasibility of using solar panels to save long-term on energy costs. The short answer is that he believes the council should take advantage of the incentives that are out there right now.
Conte laid out a fairly strong financial case for installing a solar array while also explaining why the town council is recommended to act now. One of the most important takeaways is that the economics work largely because of government incentives.
The federal government could reimburse up to 40 percent of the project’s cost — emphasis on the “up to” — through a direct payment program. That state of Rhode Island also offers a $75,000 one-time incentive. The federal reimbursement would likely arrive 6 to 12 months after the system begins operating, while the state incentive would come roughly three months after operation begins.
Normally, projects must be completed by December 2027 to qualify for the current federal incentive. However, Conti explained another option called the “Safe Harbor” provision. That allows South Kingstown to preserve eligibility even if installation finishes later, even as late as 2030, provided the town commits at least five percent of the project’s cost, typically by purchasing equipment, before the federal deadline.
Conte recommended that the council use this safe harbor option because instead of rushing construction to beat a deadline, the town could spend a relatively small amount now to lock in hundreds of thousands of dollars in future federal assistance.
Conte argued that solar really does become a long-term cost-saving investment. Solar panels usually last about 25 years, and with today’s incentives, the system would pay for itself in less than 10 years. This stretches out to 15 years without the incentives. Electricity prices are expected to rise over time too, making solar energy a financially viable option as time goes on.
Officials have also done a feasibility study about how much solar energy they could theoretically produce on the roof of the school. They found that the roof would be able to support 750 solar panels, about 405 kilowatts of generating capacity. The total estimated project cost is about $1.5 million, minus about $500,000 in expected incentives.
* For the full story, pick up a copy of this week’s Independent on newsstands now or purchase a subscription to our E-Edition by clicking here.
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