PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Tyler State Park in Bucks County is going solar.
About 270 solar panels have been assembled on the park's Newtown Township side. They are expected to be powered by the sun by the end of the year. The project, which is being funded by Pennsylvania’s Growing Greener Plus grant program, will cost about $377,000.
“It’s already built; we are still waiting on some parts,” said Phil Schmidt, manager of the 1,700-acre park. “There has been a bit of a supply delay. We are essentially waiting on wiring and maybe some connecting pieces.”
Schmidt said incorporating green energy should significantly reduce electricity costs.
“It won’t bring us completely to net zero, but we will get pretty close to it,” he said. “We are estimating this will generate about 150,000 kilowatthours per year, which should save us roughly sixteen thousand dollars in electricity charges.”
He said they currently spend about $17,500 on electricity.
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The panels are located at the park’s main entrance off Swamp Road.
Schmidt said they are aware that seeing the array of solar panels is not exactly the most scenic thing to look at as you first enter the park, but placing it by the park’s office made the most sense.
“We looked at several locations to put it, and as far as getting the amount of sun, that was the right spot to put it,” he explained. “And, also, we do want people to see them – we wanted to generate curiosity. We do want people to ask questions.”
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The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources operates 121 state parks as well as other facilities in the Commonwealth. Twenty-three have solar installations and 18 are currently in design or under construction for them.
The department is working to produce or purchase 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.