The plan to install solar arrays on the roofs of two Winchester schools has been in the works for several years, but Winchester officials are cautious about rushing with the environmentally friendly installation. One of the big concerns on their minds is the question: do the schools’ roofs have the capacity to hold the weight of solar panels in addition to heavy snow loads?

The proposals on the table are for solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems at Vinson-Owen Elementary and Winchester High School, the two recently rebuilt schools which took into account plans for solar arrays during the renovations. The project would be part of a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with the town.

A slow-moving project

Resident Alan Field, who was involved in Winchester’s Solarize Massachusetts program in 2011, expressed disappointment the momentum launched by the residential project didn’t carry over to the schools.

“Years ago we talked about solar roofs on schools, and year after year goes by and I don’t see anything happening,” said Field at the recent School Committee meeting on Aug. 14.

But the delay of the project is not for the lack of commitment form the school officials.

“This committee without a doubt supports solar on roofs at V-O and the high school,” said Winchester School Committee chairman Chris Nixon. “Conceptually we have no problem with it.” But the group has several concerns.

The committee asked the Educational Facilities Planning and Building Committee (EFPBC) to examine the roofs’ structural capacity, roof warranties, and consider safety when it comes to roof maintenance especially during severe snowfalls. The EFPBC is slated to make a recommendation on the project to the School Committee on Aug. 22.

During the construction of the new Vinson-Owen facility, the solar system was incorporated into the design. In one portion of the school the support structure was strengthened to hold an array, according to Nixon.

WHS roof to be examined

The roof at Winchester High School, most of it original to 1970, raised more concerns.

Although the physical space was created for solar arrays on the roof, it’s unclear whether the roof has enough weight-bearing capacity to handle the arrays in addition to heavy snow. According to the EFPBC, one of the original structural engineers at WHS has completed a review of the beams in the school’s gymnasium ceiling and began the analysis of the trusses.

Superintendent Judy Evans echoed the concern about the weight burden caused by recently increased snowfalls, and the potential challenge of accessing the roof for its maintenance. A portion of the roof still has some leaks, she said. “You run into these issues any time you have a building that’s rebuilt and not built from the [ground],” she said. It’s only in the past 10 years, she said, that the workers have been going up to the roof not only to clean roof drains, but also shovel off snow.

“We want to make sure we don’t make a hasty decision because it has implications for the structure, that’s really the only hold up.” And those uncertainties raise safety concerns for students and staff, a priority for the committee,  member Michelle Bergstrom underscored.

Energy experts recommend to go-ahead

But according to Winchester Energy Conservation Committee, the School Committee should move forward with the project and work with Solect Energy “to design the solar systems and engineer stamped plans for each array at Solect’s expense,” according to the memo Energy Conservation Coordinator Susan McPhee sent to the town officials on August 13.

The memo outlines the benefits of the project and addresses some of the School Committee’s concerns. First, solar panels will save taxpayers significant money — by avoiding higher energy costs, the Town will save about $1,000,000 over the 20-year contract, the memo says. The town won’t have responsibility for the on-going operation or maintenance of the solar system, the memo says. The warranties aren’t a problem, too — Solect will work with the original manufacturer to maintain original roof warranties.

And moreover, solar panels offer a learning opportunity for the students. “Solar PV [photovoltaic] at WHS and V-O shows our students in a very visible way that Winchester wants to set an example of energy saving and greenhouse gas emission reduction,” McPhee wrote in the memo. “We will be able to teach about the science of solar energy from our own roofs.”