Mayor Keffer Attends Installation of Solar Panels on Upper Darby Municipal Building

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

September 1, 2022
Contact: socialmedia@upperdarby.org

Mayor Keffer Attends Installation of Solar Panels on Upper Darby Municipal Building

UPPER DARBY, PA: Last week, Mayor Keffer oversaw the installation of the first ever solar panels on the Upper Darby Municipal Building (please see attached photos from the installation). This project is one part of the Mayor’s broader vision of reinvestment and revitalization across Upper Darby. The funding for these panels, as well as the panels to be installed on the Watkins Senior Center, comes from the Mayor’s 5-year Capital Improvement Plan.

Installing solar panels on the municipal building is a step forward towards reaching a Silver rating from SolSmart, a national designation program designed to recognize communities that have taken key steps to address local barriers to solar energy and foster the growth of mature local solar markets. Silver ranking is obtained when Bronze ranking criteria are met and solar training has been conducted for inspection and permitting staff, along with some zoning requirements. Upper Darby is well on its way to achieving this rank. 

All of this serves as part of Mayor Keffer’s plan to revitalize and reinvest in a greener Upper Darby. “We are setting new expectations and standards for development in Upper Darby and when you do that, it is important to lead by example,” Mayor Keffer said. “By installing solar panels on our own government buildings, we’re not only making the Township greener, we are sending a message to residents and developers about what is possible here. We’re making advancements and amenities like solar energy more accessible to our community. This is truly amazing progress.” 

The Township has received a surge in applications for residential solar panels - approximately 106, many of which were approved - since the announcement was made in 2021. The solar panels on the municipal roofs alone will offset the greenhouse gas reductions of the following equivalent emitters: 20.6 cars off the road, 10,642 gallons of gas consumed per year, 11.4 homes energy use, 219 barrels of oil per year, 32.2 tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled. It is also the  carbon sequestration equivalent of: 1,564 tree seedlings grown for 10 years and 116 acres of US forest. 

SolSmart also helps to streamline local government systems which affect business and residents going solar. By installing them on municipal buildings and increasing the SolSmart rating, the process is made much easier for the community to install their own solar panels. 

“This is smart fiscal policy and a sound investment. These panels will pay for themselves in only five to ten years,” said Mayor Keffer. “Not only that but they will help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis locally, and we’re ahead of the curve in the state - Upper Darby will be only the sixth municipality in Pennsylvania who will qualify for a silver designation through SolSmart’s program once we complete our last remaining requirements. This is a massive step towards making our Township a more environmentally friendly place for our residents, and we’re excited to be ‘leading the charge’ so to speak, towards more accessible solar energy.” 

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