HHMS Solar: An Investment for the Future

1. HHMS Solar An Investment for the Future Directory

2. E.Y.E.S. Edison Youth Environmental Society Who We Are EYES is a student-run organization which was started in Lincoln Elementary in 2009 to help the environment by reducing paper used in schools and encouraging recycling. We also managed to build our own School Garden at Lincoln Elementary and are ready to do even better at Herbert Hoover Middle School. As this school year begins, we plan to make “HHMS Solar” our first major project. Directory

3. The Project Idea • Facilitate the installation of solar panels on the flat school roof of Herbert Hoover Middle School, in a way that will provide the greatest ROI (Return On Investment) for the Edison School District. • Why we want to do it: • This project will save money for our school in the medium to long term. • It will provide a valuable educational tool for the students on how each one of us can contribute to saving our planet. • It will make Herbert Hoover Middle School a leader in New Jersey and the Nation in providing a student-lead initiative for helping to save the environment. Directory

4. Leasing solar is an inexpensive way to acquire solar panels: Installation companies, can lease the school’s roof space and install their own panels. The installation company will own the panels and the energy produced by the panels, but will generally give the district a low fixed, flat rate for electricity for the lifetime of the panels (Usually 20 years) Leasing Solar Directory

5. Buying Solar Compared to Leasing Solar, Buying Solar may be a better option in the long run, especially for a school: • First, the government provides Carbon Credits or SRECs as well as many other incentives to go solar. • Also, several grant opportunities are available for commercial solar. • Another positive is that we will own all the energy produced by the panels and depending on the system type, may not have an electric bill at all! And the extra energy we produce (example: In summer) can be sold back into the grid. Directory

6. Income from SRECs (Carbon Credits) • Each ton of Carbon that is not released into the environment each year is one SREC. • In Technical terms, each kilowatt of solar power with an average of 5.5 hours of sunlight per day per year is one SREC. An average home can produce 2-4 SRECs a year. • Commercial Rooftop Solar Systems can produce many SRECs per year. • Market value of each NJ SREC ranges from $200 - $1000, and polluting companies such as Utilities buy them. This can quickly offset the cost of the solar panels. Directory

7. SREC’s For Herbert Hoover Middle School: Estimated First-Year SREC Earnings: $8,614.25 Total SREC Earnings over 20 years: $101,783.06 Directory

8. Estimation Solar Estimate for 174 Jackson Ave, Edison, NJ 08837 Approximate number of panels: 99 Directory

9. Positives of Installing Solar for the Edison School District • It will show that the Edison Public School District is taking a step to save the environment • It will inspire other schools in New Jersey and the nation to carry out similar projects • It will help the environment and either greatly reduce or completely eliminate the school’s energy bill. • It will provide great PR and positive Media attention for Edison Schools. Directory

10. Academic Positives • This project will educate students in the subjects of Math, Science, Social Studies, and English using real life scenarios. • This effort will help an entire generation of students become better stewards of our fragile planet. • This analysis alone will teach our students and faculty that caring for our planet may eventually result in both tremendous financial benefits and useful academic skills. Directory

11. The School Budget • The school districts current energy bill is $3.2 million for the 2011 – 2012 school year. • Since last year that price has risen by $325,000 from about $2.8 million in the 2010 – 2011 school year. That is an almost 12% increase! • Based on this trend, the school could save a great deal of money by going Solar, thereby protecting itself from rising energy costs. Directory

12. 2 more reasons why NJ is a great place to go SOLAR 1. Electricity in NJ is expensive – Electricity inNJ is $0.19/kWh, compared to the US average of $0.11/kWh. 2. The Federal Solar Tax Credit puts 30% back in your pocket - Commercial solar energy projects that are started between 2011 & 2016 are eligible for a renewable energy cash grant worth 30 percent of the total project costs. Directory

13. Play VideoSkip Video The following video is an example of a solar project already completed by Washington Elementary School in Berkeley California

15. Visit us at e-y-e-s.wikispaces.com OR Contact Us at edisonenvironment@gmail.com

16. DIRECTORY Title Page Who We Are The Project Idea Leasing Solar Buying Solar SRECs HHMS SREC Earnings HHMS Estimate District Positives Academic Positives The School Budget 2 More Reasons