Briarcliff Manor Solar Panel Project Complete
BRIARCLIFF MANOR, NY — When the sun shines again, a few Briarcliff Manor buildings will be ready to catch its rays.
The village’s Department of Public Works building is now outfitted with 50-kilowatt solar panels that village officials say could offset air conditioning costs and save the village $27,000 in the next 18 months.
The village previously received a $248,211 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Workers with Solar Liberty Energy Systems, the winning bidder on the project, recently completed the installation of the solar panels on top of the DPW building and the village hall.
“It’s truly a win-win situation for us,” Village Manager Philip Zegarelli said Wednesday during a presentation to the Board of Trustees. “This should be, I think, way ahead of many other municipalities and a great solar project for the village.”
Zegarelli also pointed to the “competitive and aggressive” bidding process that led to western New York-based Solar Liberty Energy Systems’ low bid of $191,912.50 on the project. The village also spent $27,500 toward the cost of the project, Zegarelli said, adding that the amount would be made up for within the next two years. But, the real benefit is the expansion of the project on the village hall.
“Because we made the contract a ‘time and materials’ type of project and because the DPW project came in under budget, we were able to expand our scope,” Zegarelli wrote in an e-mail Thursday. “We figure within 18 months … roughly $27,000 will be repaid.”
By Nathan Bruttell
The Daily Briarcliff
