Who Will Mind the Solar Panels?

Eric Bartone of DBS Energy reported to the School Building Commission that all is good on the solar-panel front. The three elementary schools' panels are completed and humming, and the middle school's are 95 percent there.

Now, the question was, who will perform the preventive maintenance? A private contractor or the school's maintenance workers.

Bartone told commissioners at their Tuesday night meeting that he'd like to do it. He handed out copies of a contract he drew up and launched his pitch.

The basic monthly fee stated in his proposal is $615. He said about half of that would be defrayed by the renewable energy credits expected from the state that go to the town. For that $615, every six months DBS service technicians would physically inspect the following: the panels on the four schools; the roof electrical wiring and circuit connections; the roof racking system; the inverter including weekly testing of its performance; and the utility AC disconnect.

The proposed contract also includes the administrative work in filing for energy credits for the Momauguin, Deer Run and Overbrook elementary schools where the panels have been installed. Additional charges to the town would be to cover application and filing fees. If service beyond maintenance is indicated, DBS would charge $135 an hour for professional labor and $115 for technical.

But since the money would come out of the Board of Ed's wallet, it's that body's decision whether a private contractor is needed and, if so, which company would get the work.

"The reason I came here was for the recommendation of the maintenance and service," said visitor Ray Pompano, chair of the school board's Buildings & Grounds Subcommittee.

Some school building commissioners said they "strongly" felt it was a must to have an outside concern perform the maintenance work.

"I have zero confidence" in the school maintenance department, said Paul Hongo, director of town affairs. He said given the department's maintenance "track record" there should be a "strong recommendation" from the School Building Commission to outsource the job.

Hongo was referring to at the middle and high schools of, respectively, overheated classrooms and water leaking onto the gym floor from overhead vents. Some have said the problems were caused by a lack of attention by the school's Building & Grounds employees.

"They're not in tune with what should be done,"  said School Building Commissioner Lou Langella. "Seeing what has happened recently, my confidence is very low. It's a joke. Large salaries, no results."

Langella seconded Hongo's call for the commission to send a "strong recommendation" to the school board to hire a contractor, adding that "the [the panels] don't know nothing about it."

But Commissioner Norman Brody wasn't jumping so fast on giving a contract to DBS. He suggested putting the maintenance contract out to bid to get the lowest price.

Commissioner Joe Luciano said maintenance should have been included in the original agreement with DBS for the construction of the solar panels, and concurred with Brody that an RFP (request for proposal) should be issued.

"Any independent contractor could come in and do the maintenance," said Luciano. "I'm just looking at it from a taxpayer's position."

Chair Joe D'Albero asked Pompano to put the contract item on the school board's Jan. 25 agenda. Pompano said he would.

D'Albero told the commission he wanted to give each Board of Ed member a copy of DBS' proposed maintenance document with a "strong" letter of recommendation to get a contractor. Commissioners voted in agreement.

Pompano told the commission it won't be an easy sell to the school board.

Asked after the meeting to elaborate, Pompano said, it's the cost. But, he said, "I don't think anybody's comfortable leaving it in the hands of our in-house maintenance people. But not because they're incompetent. They just don't have the expertise in dealing with a project of this magnitude."

The financial benefits of the solar panels are the roughly $3,600 a year in state credits and the untold savings realized from using less energy.