LAJF is taking a step towards reducing its use of fossil fuel-generated energy by introducing solar energy to the CRS Campus. This initiative is being coordinated by the LAJF Sustainability fellow, Elise De Groote ‘12, ‘13, and spearheaded by alums who are experts in the field.
Why does reducing fossil fuel use matter?
Although fossil fuels have facilitated progress, our excessive use of them is changing the world’s climate. This existential threat reminds us of our moral imperative to act in the best interest of current and future generations across the globe.
As fossil fuels constitute a major contributor to climate change, it is vital to reduce their use. This can be done by using renewable sources instead of using fossil fuels to meet the demand for electricity. Many types of renewable energy sources exist, the most commonly known ones being solar energy, wind energy, hydraulic energy, nuclear energy, and biomass. As these sources are dependent on factors like wind speed, height difference, and solar irradiance it seems unlikely that one renewable energy source will be suitable for all different places on earth.
For many homeowners, solar panels are a step towards cleaner energy, energy independence and cheaper energy. As technology has advanced, the levelized cost of renewable energy options has dropped low enough that now solar and wind are the lowest cost sources of energy in many parts of the world (1, 2). The principle is simple; to capture the energy in the form of light received from the sun and transform it into electrical energy that can be used for equipment.
Why are we now looking to bring solar PV to LAJF?
As mentioned above, climate change as an existential threat
Costs for solar installations have come down dramatically, making it an attractive investment
There are very attractive incentives, including the federal Investment Tax Credit (26% of the total installation cost), and a NY state credit of 35 cents per watt of capacity.
Financial sustainability - while there is an upfront cost of solar panels, the financial reports show they will pay for themselves in 7-12 years. Over the course of their full expected lifetime (25-year warranty), the panels are expected to save a fair amount of money. Estimates and projections have been provided in $100K to $200K depending on future costs of energy from the power company.
The solar installation will also provide a physical opportunity for campers to learn about renewable energy production.
The process of bringing Solar Energy To Camp Rising Sun
This past year included a look at the topic of climate change in more than one of the virtual sessions run for Camp Rising Sun alumni. During the “Chasing Coral'' documentary discussion held last Spring, various alums suggested a solar panel installation at Clinton be considered. A team had already been looking at the potential for a solar farm on the Red Hook Campus and gladly accepted the challenge to add a Clinton project to the work of this team.
A multidisciplinary team of alumni set out to make it happen:
Elise de Groote (CRS ‘12 ‘13): Sustainability Fellow / STEM Counselor 2020/2021, Master student Physics at the University of Twente
John Armstrong (CRS ‘59): Idea Originator; Wallingford Energy committee
Mike Saratovsky (CRS ’98 ‘99) : LAJF B&G Committee Leader; Vice President, B.O.S.S. Associates (General Construction; President of Sky Building Services (Property Management); owner of Rooftop Solar Panel Installation
Jonathan Robertson (CRS ‘97 ’98 ‘05) : LAJF B&G Committee Member; Principal/Lead Engineer at Integral Group, Inc; E&C designing and managing construction of environmentally friendly structures
Jonathan Schwartz (CRS ’00 ’01’07): Energy Consultant
Marissa Leigh Alcala (CRS ’90 ’91’04):Co-Partner at Norton, Rose, Fulbright; legal support and represents organization with an emphasis on renewable and clean energy
Dan Pierpont (CRS ‘92): Senior Product Development Engineer at 3M, Product development of solar films for PV cells; teams technical advisor
Tim Conners (CRS ‘73): Past president LAJF Board, Retired, Emerson Corp, Business Development; Bsc. Mechanical Engineering University of Minnesota; MSB MIT Sloan School of Management
Mads Nissen (CRS ‘06, ‘13-’19). Director of Advancement; LAJF: Staff Liaison.
After carrying out a feasibility study, multiple conversations with different stakeholders, and evaluating different options, the CRS Solar team recommended installing solar energy on the roof of the Clinton campus. This recommendation was approved by the LAJF Board on January 26th, 2021 as it is a good step forward toward a more sustainable CRS. A “Conceptual design is noted in the picture below. A final design will come at a later date.
The impact of installing solar at Clinton
The solar panels will avoid the emission of 226,000kg1 of greenhouse gases which is the equivalent of 492 vehicles off the road. After 12 years the cost of the panels will be paid off and LAJF will be saving about $700 in electric costs monthly*. This project will show our commitment to becoming more sustainable and can furnish conversations about climate change, energy (usage) awareness, and climate justice with campers.
Looking for a passive investor
We are looking for an alum or CRS friend to help make this project a possibility. We are looking for an investor that has passive income. The passive income must be from real estate investments and is used to offset the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and depreciation on the solar equipment. Details on the amount needed for this project are still being worked. The initial estimate for this project is $125,000 to $170,000 before taking into account tax benefits and advance lease payments that are accrued in the first year of the project. The tax benefits and lease payments will return the majority (or possibly all) of the investment made within 0 to 12 months. However, the tax benefits are available only to the investor that has the appropriate passive income to absorb these tax benefits.
If you have passive income and are looking to offset some of your tax liabilities, and have an interest in helping this solar project become a reality by investing in the project, please write to Tim Conners at timothyconners@gmail.com or call Tim at +1-612-670-5028.
Other ways of being involved
Pledges/Donations to fund the cost of a month of the Clinton Solar Project lease payments and/or the purchase of a solar cell are being accepted. Contact Tim Conners at timothyconners@gmail.com for more details or call Tim at +1-612-670-5028.
CRS Sustainability Affinity Group: If you are interested in sustainability (in the broad sense of the word), want to learn from other alumni and connect, if you want to inspire and be inspired a great place to start is to sign up for the alumni affinity group. This can be done by filling out the form, joining the Facebook group, or by sending an email to edegroote@lajf.org.
Project Manager: This project is volunteer-led and we welcome help as we move from the investigation to the implementation phase. We are looking for an individual that has project management experience and/or certification credentials to join the team. If you have an interest, please contact Tim Conners at timothyconners@gmail.com.
If you have any questions about the solar project, affinity group or future plans, please do take a look at the FAQs or send an email to edegroote@lajf.org.
Sources with information about climate change and data used for this blog can be found https://climate.nasa.gov/
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(1) The estimate of 226kg of GHG emissions uses the following assumptions:
EIA information for the NRCC Upstate NY electricity-generating region
Offsets above are all GHG, not just CO2
Note that the NY grid is already relatively clean already (lots of nuclear and renewables)
The calculation includes overall emissions, not just “fuel burned”, but also the additional all-GHG emissions associated with mining, refining, distributing, etc.
Assumes a 25-year life on the panels (standard).
(2) EPA - see https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle
* This is based on the energy cost + usage per average month from 2019