By Catherine Wilde
Staff Writer
Published March 26, 2008

The glint of solar panels may be seen on Old Tappan municipal buildings if borough officials are convinced by a solar company’s presentation in upcoming weeks.

The mayor and council will hear a second presentation by the solar company Vanguard Energy Partners, formerly New Jersey Solar Solutions.

The initial presentation by the company given last week has piqued officials’ interest but was not concise enough to sell them on the investment.

"We are looking for them to be a little clearer," said Councilman Ron Binaghi. "We are hoping they are going to say this is how much it is. How much you can install [the panels] for, how much it will cost the borough, after X amount of years you will own it or still be paying for it and this is how you can finance it or what you are going to do."

The initial presentation explored the possibility of installing solar panels on the Department of Public Works building, the Fire Department and Borough Hall.

However, it left the council with more questions than answers.

"If they can prove to us this will pay for itself in X number of years then you’ve got it," said Binaghi. He said he wants the next presentation to include examples of municipalities that have benefited from the installation of solar panels as well as reasons why it may not be a good investment.

"I don’t want to jump into a $0.5 million investment my grandkids would have to pay for," he said.

Binaghi said he came across the company at a trade show in January. He asked them to present their plan to the borough when he heard grant money for such an investment could be easily procured by municipalities.

"They told me that if you’re a municipality you just have to apply [to the state] and you will probably get it," he said, adding the state funding may amount to 40 percent of the entire cost.

"If we can see down the road this is going to be something that is going to pay and save taxpayers money … while leaving less of a carbon imprint then that’s a good benefit," Binaghi said.

"Money savings are what’s important to us, bringing the tax rate down. At the same time if we are saving trees, then great."