MICRONESIA Renewable Energy Inc. on Wednesday said the installation of a solar energy system at public schools will result in “tens of millions of dollars” in savings over the next 30 years.
In his remarks during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Marianas High School solar energy system, Micronesia Renewable Energy Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Voacolo said when the Public School System-wide project is completed in March 2023, they will have installed 3.8 megawatts of solar energy with over 10,000 solar energy modules.
He said PSS is expected to save close to $900,000 a year, and these funds will “go back” to the children, teachers and PSS employees.
“But this is just the top of the iceberg,” Voacolo added.
“There is also lifetime savings [that] will amount to tens of millions of dollars over the next 30 years,” he said.
Moreover, there are the residual effects of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. not having to burn diesel to produce energy, he added.
He said Micronesia Energy calculated that over the next 30 years, the carbon dioxide emission will be reduced by 11,550.83 metric tons; nitric oxide by 74,156.32 pounds; sulfur dioxide by 118,511.50 pounds; and mercury by 57,754.14 pounds.
These will be equal to planting 3,472.69 acres of trees, 2,202.87 cars off the road and 27,855,193.37 miles that motorists wouldn’t have to drive, Voacolo said.
“The time truly has come to get away from centralized generation and take advantage of the sun and consume this energy where we produce it right here at our schools,” he added. “I believe that Thomas Edison got it right in 1934 when he stated ‘I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power. I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.’ Well, we are tackling that now in the CNMI.”
Micronesia Renewable Energy Inc. Chief Operations Officer Jeffrey Voacolo and Chief Executive Officer Tracy Voacolo, center seated, pose with their staff following the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly installed solar energy system at Marianas High School on Wednesday.