Wildwood Commissioners Weigh Installation of Solar Panels

WILDWOOD – City commissioners are considering installing solar panels on city buildings. They would supply energy at a lower cost than the city’s provider, Atlantic City Electric.
“We’re taking a look under every rock to see where we can save money. We made a pledge to bring fiscal stability back to town,” Mayor Peter Byron said, in a phone interview.
According to one proposal, solar energy could save the city 27.5% on its electric bill.
“Electric is a big cost to us,” Byron said. “A potential 28% savings on anything is substantial. That would be awesome, so we’re looking at that.”
The solar panels would be owned by the company that gets the contract; the city would only pay for the energy that it uses.
“The installation of the solar panels will be solely at the cost of whomever the company is that we’re dealing with. We put an RFP (request for proposals) out, we got two responses and we’ve interviewed with both companies,” Byron explained.
The panels would go on roofs of City Hall, the municipal courts, the Byrne Community Center, the water building and the Holly Beach Volunteer Fire Company. 
The panels would power the connected building, with enough to produce 100% of electricity used last year, according to one proposal by J.R. Castle of Castle Energy.
“Any money that we save by doing our research and cutting down our cost, we can better utilize that somewhere else. We have this boardwalk issue we have to contend with, the back-bay flooding issue, our streets. There are a lot of issues we really need to address, and all of these issues come with a cost. We’re trying to figure out a way to offset as many of these costs as we can without putting it on the backs of the taxpayers,” said the mayor.
At a proposal Feb. 26, commissioners asked questions about how overcast winter months, or other long cloudy stretches, would affect the ability to use solar energy. Castle, founder of the company making the proposal, said that there is a bank that stores surplus power collected during sunny days.
Commissioners also wondered how a potential nor’easter or hurricane could impact the rooftop panels. Castle replied that they would be insured and that his company would pay to remove them and repair damages to the roofs that installation of the panels caused after a potential 20-year contract expires.
In addition to the cost benefits of solar energy, many see it as a greener way to get power. Byron sees those benefits to the switch as well.
“I think it’s very important. That’s one of the reasons we’re looking at the plastic bag ordinance,” said the mayor. “The effect this has on the planet is a long-term effect. You always have to have an eye into the future.”
As for a timeline, Castle said once a contract is awarded, it could take up to three months until everything is installed and running.
“We need to talk to our engineer and public works director and all of the folks who should have input to this and find out who they feel would be the best company to go with. It behooves us to do this sooner versus later,” Byron said.
To contact Shay Roddy, email sroddy@cmcherald.com.