The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District added solar panels to both high schools in the Summer of 2022 as part of its energy savings improvement plan in conjunction with the district’s energy consultant, Honeywell.
Energy savings improvement programs (ESIPs) are supported by state legislation that allows public entities to implement ESIPs that can be self-funded over 15-20 years, in accordance with the legislation. The ESIP includes an audit of school buildings to evaluate potential savings from energy-related upgrades. That audit is then verified by an independent engineering firm and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
In addition to solar panels, the North Hunterdon-Voorhees district’s ESIP included upgrading to LED lights inside and outside at both high schools, installing destratification fans with UV light in select areas with high ceilings, making Building Management System software upgrades, replacing old pneumatic controls with new automatic temperature controls, ceiling upgrade in the NHHS Cafeterias, and installing new ventilation system in NHHS Cafeterias.
Solar Energy Produced and Carbon Offset
Advanced Solar Products, Inc. built a roof mounted photovoltaic (PV) system on the roofs of both North Hunterdon and Voorhees High Schools, which included a total of 3,456 450-Watt panels. North Hunterdon’s PV system totals 900 kW DC while the Voorhees system totals 655.2 kW DC. The solar panel systems on the roofs of both North Hunterdon and Voorhees High Schools were granted approval to operate by JCP&L. Combined together, the solar systems will offset approximately 1.9 million kWh of electrical usage annually district-wide. This savings combined with savings from other ESIP projects will result in an estimated $5.4 million cost savings for the district.
The school district will purchase the clean, renewable energy produced by the PV systems at a substantial discount through a long-term power purchase agreement with New Jersey Resources, the financer and long-term owner of the photovoltaic systems.
Voorhees High School
Below is a real-time display of the solar panel output for Voorhees High School.
(orange line is the combined energy of the inverters and blue is energy from the meter and 15-minute inverters)
North Hunterdon High School
Below is a real-time display of the solar panel output for North Hunterdon High School.
(orange line is the combined energy of the inverters and blue is energy from the meter and 15-minute inverters)
How Solar Works
