Danbury is pushing pause on plans to install solar panels on several school roofs. Superintendent Kevin Walston told the Board of Ed that the state will only reimburse a portion of the cost if the roofs are five years or newer. The Office of School Construction Grants and Review is still evaluating the City's application.
A decision on moving forward with the King Street Intermediate installation was tabled by the Board of Ed but could be taken up at their meeting on Wednesday.
Other project sites include Broadview, Rogers Park and Westside middle schools, Danbury High School and Danbury Library. The overall cost is estimated at $13 million. The state would have reimbursed $8 million on the school portion. If the City can show that the project wouldn’t breach the warranty on their roofs, reimbursement could be approved. Estimates are that the schools would save $700,000 annually in long-term energy costs.
Board member Richard Jannelli expressed frustration with the consultant company for not warning the city about the reimbursement rules, and said it feels like everyone who worked on the project had their time wasted.
