School Board Talks Big Solar Array Tuesday Night

The Great Valley School Board will vote Tuesday night on whether to spend about $15,000 toward possible construction of a 5.3-megawatt solar panel array at district-owned property on Bacton Hill Road.

Richard Krumrine, Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, proposed the plan at last week's board work session, along with Robert Grillo, a Great Valley alumnus who approached the district with the concept. 

The $15,000 would cover an appraisal of the land and legal fees. Krumrine said the project could save the school up to $700,000 on energy costs each year.

"The whole idea is a high-net-worth individual owns the solar asset and, over a 25-year period, donates all the electricity it creates back to Great Valley School District," Grillo said.

The donor would realize a greater tax benefit through the ongoing gift than if construction funds were donated directly to the school.

The array would cover roughly one-third of the Bacton Hill property, which has been discussed a possible site for a new school.

"Even if we did this, we'd still have enough land left to build a school," Jennifer Armstrong, chair of the facilities committee, said.

A slide from the presentation that answers common questions about the project is attached to this article.

The school board will meet Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 at the district office.