Old Westbury, NY – New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), New York State Senator Carl L. Marcellino, Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) President and CEO Kevin Law, and the Jericho Water District joined together today to honor Earth Day by announcing a joint project to install solar panels at the Jericho Water District buildings.

The solar panels will be designed to provide energy for the buildings and allow excess power to be net metered with LIPA to provide offsetting revenue to the water district. The dual-purpose design will result in energy savings to the utility and ultimately to the public. The cost of the installation may be reduced through LIPA's nationally recognized Solar Pioneer Program.

"We are proud to be working on a project with the Jericho Water District, LIPA, and Senator Marcellino that is at the forefront of two of today's most pressing technological challenges, clean water and clean energy," said Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., dean of NYIT's School of Engineering and Computing Sciences. "The project will reduce energy and water bills in the long term while also contributing to clean air on Long Island."

"The commissioners of the Jericho Water District are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Senator Marcellino and NYIT to install solar energy power at district facilities," said Nicholas Bartilucci, commissioner of the Jericho Water District. "We are enthused over the prospect of reducing the district's dependence on fossil fuel-generated electrical power and are committed to conserving water and electricity."

"As public stewards of natural resources, Jericho Water District is ever-conscious of the impact their operations have on the environment," said Senator Marcellino. "Just as they have assumed a leadership role in promoting conservation and other sensible water activities, they have also been fiscally prudent stewards of taxpayers' money. This is one more example of thinking ‘outside the box' to bring to the residents of the Jericho Water District an environmental and economical benefit."

The solar panel project will demonstrate to the public and private sector that a viable facility powered solely on renewable energy can be constructed. The actual system will be designed by NYIT engineering students and faculty with the guidance and expertise of local Long Island firms. The system's performance will be monitored both by the water district and a team of students, creating a public-private partnership that will serve the community.

"The engineering students participating in the design of this system are contributing to making Long Island cleaner and greener, while helping to foster new clean energy jobs in our region," said LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law.

"Educational partnerships, like the one announced today, instill in youth a love for their community, teach them social responsibility, enrich their classroom experiences with real application, and prepare them to be the leaders of tomorrow," said Dean Anid.

LIPA's Solar Pioneer and Entrepreneur Programs are part of Efficiency Long Island, a 10-year, $924 million energy efficiency program that offers a wide array of incentives, rebates, and initiatives available to LIPA's residential and commercial customers to assist them in reducing their energy usage and thereby, lowering their bills. Efficiency Long Island is one of the most ambitious efficiency programs in the United States and will delay the construction of the next fossil-fueled power plant on Long Island.

"I applaud Senator Marcellino, NYIT, and LIPA for working together to improve energy efficiency, save Long Islanders' money, and help New York become the nation's clean technology leader," said U.S. Representative Steve Israel (D-NY), who applauded the efforts announced today.

• Senator Marcellino speaks about the solar initiative
• LI News reports on the initiative

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 15,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, 85,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

David Wheeler
Director of Media and Public Relations
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