Talbot County Public Schools Installs New Solar Array Funded By Local Donor

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Talbot County Public Schools Installs New Solar Array Funded By Local Donor

Sunrise Solar • Jul 20, 2023

Talbot County Public Schools Installs New Solar Array Funded By Local Donor

(Easton, MD) After Peter Yungbluth retired from his 22-year career as a biomedical engineer at UM Shore Regional Medical Center (formerly Easton Memorial Hospital), he began to focus his energy on researching how he could personally help reduce what he refers to as “greenhouse gas debt.”

“I became aware many years ago that I was putting too much carbon dioxide into the air, and would have to take a bunch of it out; but I didn’t know how big a problem it would be and I kept saying “later,” he explains. “Now I am out of time and have a lot of catching up to do. Our home rooftop solar makes enough to run our house and electric car, but all the rest of the fossil-fuel emissions I’m accountable for are not so easily eliminated.”

Yungbluth decided to expand his efforts into the community. He believed that Talbot County Public Schools, and in particular the recently constructed Easton Elementary School would certainly benefit from installation of solar. He contacted Mr. Kevin Shafer, TCPS Director of Operations to share his ideas and his intent to make a generous contribution to fund the project. He learned that the school had been planned to include an extensive solar system, but the cost could not be justified at the time of construction.

Mr. Yungbluth was determined. He reached out to Buck Duncan at Mid-Shore Community Foundation to discuss leveraging other community support to supplement his donation to achieve the needed funding. Meanwhile, TCPS continued to examine other options that could make this opportunity a reality, and arrived at what became the perfect solution.

In 2016, the school district received a donation of a 2.4 acre parcel of land near the Talbot County Education Center on Magnolia Street in Easton. “We looked at several potential uses for the property, but it was determined that that we would not be able to build on it due to environmental conditions.” said Mrs. Lynne Duncan, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative and Support Services. “However, it is the perfect location for a solar array!” By utilizing the open land that TCPS had available, the district could also avoid the maintenance issues surrounding roof mounted systems.

“The panels will save the schools money by producing almost-free electricity for 25-30 years,” Yungbluth adds. “This helps reduce our (greenhouse gas) debt, as solar replaces coal and gas electricity generation. The less CO2 we send up to the air, the less we have to take back out. Taking it out is 2-3 times as expensive as the electricity it gives us.”

A community collaboration soon evolved. Easton Utilities coordinated the install of the necessary electrical infrastructure, and also aided in the process of "net metering" to allow for the energy generated to be applied/credited to the Easton Elementary Campus. Sunrise Solar, of Chestertown, MD provided and installed the solar panel structure. “We were thrilled to be included as a partner on this project and commend Mr. Yungbluth on his progressive vision and TCPS on their commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Eddie Westerfield, Supervisor of Electrical Design & Inspection for Easton Utilities.

“Funding this first phase of the Magnolia Street photovoltaic array in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools and Easton Utilities and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation is a good way to begin to tackle the problem,” Mr. Yungbluth emphasized. “By taking over for coal and gas powered generation, this project will stop about 100 pounds of CO2 from going into our air each day. The current price for REMOVING carbon dioxide is about 50 cents per pound; this project AVOIDS it for about 9 cents per pound. Sounds like a bargain to me!”

Yungbluth would like to see other members of the community contribute to expanding the solar installation. “The county has plenty of room for more panels, and our schools will put the energy to good use.” Anyone interested in supporting the next phase of the project should contact Mr. Buck Duncan at Mid- Shore Community Foundation at (410) 820-8175, and ask about the fund “Helping Talbot Public Spaces Generate Renewable Energy”. “Mid-Shore Community Foundation is pleased to be a part of this exciting and rewarding project,” Mr. Duncan concludes. “We are fortunate that there are individuals like Pete Yungbluth who are willing to share their personal time, talent and resources to make a difference for future generations of Talbot County residents.”

A photovoltaic solar array has been installed on a parcel of land near the Talbot County Education Center on Magnolia Street in Easton. Funded by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Yungbluth, the project was made possible through collaboration between Talbot County Public Schools, Easton Utilities, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation and Sunrise Solar. (left to right, front row: Lynne Duncan, TCPS; Buck Duncan, Mid-Shore Community Foundation; Sharon Pepukayi, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools; Pete Yungbluth, Linda Yungbluth, donors. back row - Dan Baugher, Sunrise Solar; John Hines, Easton Utilities; Kevin Shafer, TCPS; Eddie Westerfield, Easton Utilities.)

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