Construction Begins on Solar Array at University Park Elementary School

By Kirsten Petersen

University Park Elementary School will have the best “what I did over summer vacation” story when a new 65-kilowatt solar array is installed on its roof—the first of its kind for a Prince George’s County School. 

Construction on the project began last Monday when solar panels were delivered to the elementary school. The array will be completed before students return to class in the fall.

Prince George’s County Public Schools will not pay for the solar array—the project is made possible through the Small Town Energy Program, which is funded by a US Department of Energy grant. The Town of University Park will be responsible for its maintenance and has set aside money to repair the array if necessary.

The solar array will not be attached to the roof but instead laid out on heavy racks, called a ballasted system. It is designed to survive all weather events and will help sustain the life of the roof by protecting it from rain, hail and snow.

Environmental benefits of the project include cost, energy and greenhouse gas reductions for at least the next 20 years.

The grant also helps fund a multi-year STEM education program at Hyattsville, Nicholas Orem and University Park elementary schools.

PGCPS and the Town of University Park will participate in a net revenue-sharing agreement that will allow both parties to profit from the sale of the electricity and the Renewable Energy Credits.

STEP is a voluntary program that encourages Maryland residents in Hyattsville, University Park, Riverdale Park and College Heights Estates to choose energy-saving options for their homes. Approximately 275 people participate in University Park, where the program was piloted last year.