Watertown Public Schools is excited to partner with Titan Energy of Rocky Hill and Green Skies of Middletown to bring solar energy to the district. Over the next few months, solar panels will be installed at Judson Elementary, Swift Middle and Watertown High School. The installation is part of the district’s plan to integrate green energy and solar into learning for our students while also saving money. Once the project is completed, the panels will provide 60 percent of Judson’s electric needs, 20 percent of Swift’s electric needs and offset about 18 percent of the high school’s energy use.
The solar project will have no up-front costs to the district since Green Skies will install, own and maintain the panels. The district will purchase the power from Green Skies, for a fixed price that is lower than paying for traditional utilities. The installation of the panels are projected to save Watertown Public Schools about $43,000 in the first year and over $1.4 million over the next 20 years.
Panels will be installed on roofs at Judson and WHS and on a portion of the grounds at Judson and Swift. During the approval process, representatives from Greenskies gathered input from neighbors and agreed to install privacy fences where appropriate. The installation is already underway at Judson and Swift, and work will begin at WHS later this year. In an effort to “go green”, the district will work collaboratively with student organizations to plant trees in Town to replace those removed during the construction phase.