Library Going Green

The Memorial Library will be going green, with solar panels scheduled to be installed on the East Broad Street structure by the middle of October.

Library Director Phil Israel said the project is expected to save the agency $1500 a year in energy bills, with the project cost nonexistent. He explained the panels will be donated by the library's two energy providers, PSE&G and Enviroutilite. Instillation will begin in the fall with the middle of October considered the end date for the project.

"We're trying t reduce the library's carbon footprint and save money for the town," Israel said. "We're looking at it as a demonstration project. There are a number of important reasons we looked at this."

The panels will be installed on a part of the library's roof where they will blend with the surroundings and not look out of place. Israel said the panels will not provide the entire amount of electricity for the building, with it being a portion of the total amount. He said a move to complete solar energy will be explored as the results of these projects are analyzed by library staff. He said one of the concerns about moving to a complete project is where to put the panels on the roof so they do not look out of place.

Councilwoman Joann Neylan, who serves on the library board and is exploring a green buildings initiative for the municipal government, said she supports the project. She noted that the library is a good fit to try the project out in town and will serve as an example for the rest of town government as the Town Council moves forward with a study of the issue.

"We are very excited about how this works," she said. "We are one of the first libraries doing this."