ALLENTOWN — The new middle school could have a solar power system.

Scott Schultz, of Advanced Solar Products Inc., in Ringoes, told the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education Feb. 18 to consider a solar power system for the new middle school roof because of global warming, the escalating costs of electricity and environmental benefits. He said his company has developed such systems for about 80 percent of the New Jersey public schools that have them.

Schultz explained that photons from the sun strike the solar system panels, which convert the sunlight into electricity.

"Basically, you get free electricity from the sun," he said.

He said the DC electricity generated in the roof panels travels to an inverter that converts it to AC electricity, which would be monitored by the Board of Public Utilities.

"You will not run your lights on the system," Schultz said. "You will be selling the electricity back to generate money."

Schultz said the school district would get Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), which are tradable certificates that represent the electricity generated from a solar electric system. Each time a solar electric system generates 1000kWh of electricity, a SREC is issued that the school district can sell for revenue.

"All of the electricity your system creates goes back to the grid, even when the school is closed up on Sundays and during the summer," Schultz said. "You will generate more electricity than you will use."

Dave Fraytek, architect for the middle school project, said the entire system would cost $525,000, including an architectural fee of $36,000.

The school district is one of the last in New Jersey to have obtained a Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) rebate from the state, which will fund $195,660 of the cost, bringing the total down to $329,340. Fraytek said the system would save the district $11,435 per year in energy costs. He said the SRECs would generate approximately

$26,907 in revenue for the school district each year. The system would pay for itself in 8.6 years and in 15 years could generate $245,000 in revenue for the school district, according to Fraytek.

When board members questioned Fraytek regarding the reported 15-year revenue amount, the architect said that the number was calculated "with very conservative" SREC values and electricity costs.

"As the cost of electricity goes up, your profit increases," he said.

He also said, "We don't know the cost of electricity in the future, but we know that it will be more than what it costs today."

The solar panels in the system have a 25-year warranty, but have a use life of up to 50 years, according to Schultz.

"The panels will protect your roof, but there is a good chance that the panels will last longer than the roof," he said.

Each panel costs $250-$300 to replace in the event one breaks, he said.

Fraytek ended the presentation by stating that the system comes with an educational kiosk that the school district could put in its middle school lobby for students and community members to learn more about solar power systems and how they operate.