Power was shut off at High School North on July 9 to allow for the next step of the WW-P district’s solar project.
Because PSE&G shut down the electrical feed to the school, the entire district did not have connectivity, including E-mail, Internet, telephones, and fax machines. According to an E-mail alert sent from the district, the power outage closed North for the day, but power was restored for the weekend.
Solar panels were installed this year at both of the district’s high schools, but questions regarding the power shut down to connect to a meter as part of the installation at North delayed the process last month.
The separate meter that needed to be connected at North will be used to calculate how much electricity is sent back to PSE&G from the solar panels. School officials are also awaiting certification from the Board of Public Utilities so they can begin generating electricity at both schools.
The school’s solar panels generate energy to offset their own electricity use, but on hot days where electricity is in high demand and air conditioners in the area continue to run, extra electricity can be sent back to PSE&G for distribution, school officials said.
For every 1,000 kilowatt hours generated, the school earns one solar renewable energy certificate, which the district can sell. The meter will monitor how much electricity the schools send back to PSE&G. It has not been installed yet.”
