Planning Board Approves Temple's Solar Panel Project

The Planning Board has approved Temple Beth Tikvah’s application to install a 10,000-square foot system of solar panels in its parking lot.

The board unanimously approved the application Monday night. It is the first time a house of worship in town will install solar panels on its property.

Steve Taylor, from Green Energy Construction & Consulting, said the panels are expected to generate 144 kilowatts of energy an hour, enough to potentially eliminate the Temple’s reliance on power from PSE&G.

“The project gives the temple the ability to significantly reduce its electric bill,” said Michael Ruben, the attorney who represented the Temple before the board.

The 600 panels will be installed atop a skeletal structure in the parking lot, forming a carport.

Taylor said the system could be up and running by the end of the year.

Although the project is the first of its kind for a Wayne house of worship, solar panels have been popping up throughout the town this year.

Solar panels have been installed at seven public schools. They should be operational in November. A raised solar panel system already exists at William Paterson University. Those panels created a large canopy that covers several parking lots, but that system is not easily seen from nearby roads. Officials are also examining the possibility of installing solar panels on town property. PSE&G has installed hundreds of panels on utility poles throughout the town.

Rueben said solar panels have several advantages when it comes to finding alternative ways to generate energy.

“People don’t like the big windmills because they think they are loud and somewhat dangerous,” Rueben said. “You don’t have that with solar panels. Although they might not look the best, they are a quite, passive technology.”

Several residents expressed their disapproval with the application at a board meeting in July.

“This is going to be an eyesore,” said Robert Gordon, who has lived on nearby Teak Road for 33 years.

Rueben said that although some residents might not like the way they look, solar panels are going to become more popular in the coming years.

“This is the wave of the future, whether people like it or not, you’re going to see more solar arrays appear everywhere, especially in North Jersey,” Rueben said.