Riverdale Country School takes a shine to solar panel energy

The roof of the Jeslo Harris Theater at the Riverdale Country School’s Hill Campus will soon be able to power 10 percent of the performance space and Mow Classroom Complex using solar energy.

Workers began covering the roof with photovoltaic panels, which are used to convert solar energy to electrical power, on Wednesday, Aug. 4. When construction is complete the roof will be capable of generating 35,000 kilowatts of energy annually, making it one of the largest solar energy projects in the Bronx, according to documents from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

“The school is very much committed to lowering our carbon footprint,” David Patnaude, director of plant and sustainability at RCS, said.

Although the project’s initial cost was nearly $198,000, after a NYSERDA rebate and with student fundraising, it didn’t cost the school a cent out of its regular budget. NYSERDA, which provides monetary incentives for projects like this one, gave $43,750 and the school’s 2010 graduating senior class came up with the rest by asking parents and other family members for help.

Mr. Patnaude estimated that the project will save RCS $5,600 in the first year, but, he said, the savings will go up as the cost of energy increases. The Jeslo Harris Theater roof happens to be situated just right to “garner the most amount of sun you can possess” and will do so year-round, according to Mr. Patnaude. He added that the closer a building’s slope is to the latitude of its location, the more energy its solar cells will generate.

“The roof is just perfect, perfectly situated. It’s … one of those coincidences. It’s lucky that we have a roof so well situated to be based south and to have a slope on it that matches our latitude almost identically,” Mr. Patnaude said.

RCS plans to go greener in the future. Mr. Patnaude is hoping to provide solar hot water for the school’s gym showers and dining space. He said his ultimate goal is to bring RCS’s energy and carbon footprint to zero but cautioned that he is an “extremely optimistic fellow.”

“You just keep chipping away at it,” Mr. Patnaude said.