School Power Play

That the East Hampton School District might radically overhaul its entire energy and heating approach is intriguing news. If the school board signs on, Johnson Controls, a leading national firm, would install 634-kilowatts of solar panels atop the district’s three schools. It would also improve the way oil is burned for heating, decrease heat loss and gain in classroom windows, and seek to make doors more airtight. The heating systems in the three buildings would have better insulation and power-wasting light fixtures would be replaced. 

The cost, $4.8 million, would cut about $366,000 annually from the district’s energy bills. And Johnson Controls has said the district might save even more money as traditional energy costs increase over time. While it is difficult to know the future — who could have predicted oil at $36 a barrel? — the company’s track record appears solid, as does its relationship with other schools in the region. 

One aspect of the proposal, the dismissal of wind power as part of the district’s electrical generation portfolio, however, seems worth revisiting. The stated reason for the omission, that the payback period of 18 years or more for turbines is too long, is odd when the company’s paperwork describes solar as taking nearly that long to break even. School board members should press the firm on this. The Long Lane high school property would seem ideal for wind generation, as several nearby businesses have demonstrated. Moreover, because the wind blows vigorously in the low-light shorter days of winter, wind generation would seem an obvious way to further reduce the district’s dependence on the grid. 

Moving the district toward energy independence and, by reducing its use of electricity generated by fossil fuels, cutting down on its carbon footprint, while saving money, is an admirable goal. Let’s hope it becomes a reality.