Fall River school to join other local schools in being 100 percent solar powered

Originally posted on www.fallriverreporter.com

The Diocese of Fall River announced today its intention to install a 544 kW-DC solar system on the roof of Bishop Connolly High School which officials say will cover 100% of the school’s electricity needs. The proposed system will produce 628,000 kWh of electricity annually which is equivalent to driving a gas-powered car over 1 million miles.

“We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Resonant Energy on this important initiative. This project will not only serve as an educational opportunity for our students, but as a symbol of our community’s continued commitment to the environment,” said Kathleen St. Laurent, Bishop Connolly High School President/Principal.

K-12 schools in the US spend roughly $8 billion on electricity every year, making it one of their largest expenditures, second only to staffing costs. In order to ease this burden and promote solar education, Resonant Energy has launched the Students for Solar Campaign which is designed to help students, faculty and administrators bring solar to their schools.

The Bishop Connolly solar project will join more than a dozen solar projects owned by the Diocese, producing more than 10M kWh annually. The proposed solar project will be managed by Dorchester-based Resonant Energy which recently developed projects for the Diocese at the St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet and St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in New Bedford.

The solar system is expected to save the school nearly $2 million over the 25-year lifespan of the system.

The project is currently in the development and engineering stage and installation is expected to take place in the spring or summer of 2023.