August 25, 2009

West Seneca soon will become the next local town to install solar panels on some of its public buildings, in a heavily grant-funded project designed to lower the town’s electric bills.

In early October, the roofs of Town Hall, the Highway Department and the Senior Center will start to be transformed as 238 solar panels — each at 210 watts — are installed.

Over a year, the three sites are expected to generate more than 150 kilowatt-hours, or about enough energy for 24 homes, according to Nathan Rizzo of Solar Liberty Energy Systems, which will install the panels.

That will cover a portion of the annual electric bill at each town building. For instance, town officials hope to see a 22 percent reduction in the electric bill at the Senior Center.

“The community will now see that solar energy is a viable option,” Rizzo said during an evening news conference Monday in front of Town Hall.

Councilwoman Christina Wleklinski Bove, who arranged the news conference, said the town received nearly $700,000 in grant funding from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority. The town will contribute $262,371.

“Someone was going to get that NYSERDA money. It may as well be West Seneca,” said Bove, who said she was instrumental in applying for the state funds. The town will recoup its cost for the project in nine years, she said.

The towns of Orchard Park and Brant already have installed solar panels on municipal buildings. Several other local governments are expected to receive funding for solar projects this year, as well, but West Seneca’s is expected to be among the largest-scale projects in the state among municipalities, according to Solar Liberty Energy Systems representatives.

The solar panels continue to work even under 3 to 4 inches of snow, Rizzo said. After heavier snowfalls, some of the snow will have to melt before the panels can begin generating electricity.

During the Town Board meeting after the news conference, the board:

• Authorized Comptroller Robert J. Bielecki to cancel the town credit cards issued to Western New York AmeriCorps employees. He showed the board a baggie of shredded town credit cards he received from AmeriCorps, which had come under fire for having the town advance the money to pay its credit card bills for many years.

• Denied a rezoning at 1416 and 1420 Ridge Road requested by Straight Line Sealing.

• Delayed until Sept. 28 a decision on whether to rezone 117 French Road to allow a senior citizens apartment building there.

Buffalo News
By Mary B. Pasciak