Board hears update on district solar installations; members press for meter-level net‑metering details

Johnson Controls told the Eastport‑South Manor Board of Education on Jan. 8 that solar panels installed as part of the district’s energy performance contract are partially live and producing electricity, but that the district will need full commissioning and a 12‑month production record before the guaranteed performance can be verified.

The presentation by Johnson Controls representatives focused on system configuration, monthly production to date and how New Jersey utility PSEG’s net‑metering works. "Right now, the Dayton, South Street and Tuttle Avenue — the three schools — they are online. Meaning, they are producing power and they are powering the building," Pada Srinivasan of Johnson Controls said. He added that about "30% of the system currently is online" and that the remainder should be tied in within a few months, when utilities complete approvals.

Board members pressed Johnson Controls on how PSEG posts net‑metering credits and whether excess generation from one meter (for example, the high school carport arrays) can be used to offset loads on other meters in the district. "If you overproduce on one singular net meter ... that won't get redistributed back to your account," a board member said, asking whether credits would bank at the site level or be combined districtwide. Johnson Controls said the utility’s rate structure treats each meter separately under the account type in use now, but that alternate configurations are possible and that the company would verify what was agreed at design and present options.

Johnson Controls also described the district’s production and baseline comparisons for several buildings using Oct.–Dec. billing as a preview. The presenters emphasized that seasonal variation requires a full 12 months of post‑commissioning data for the company to calculate whether the contracted guarantee is met. "There is a guarantee in our solar contract... The contract says it's 4,345,000 kWh," Srinivasan said, referring to the project‑level annual production guarantee the company will be accountable for after the measurement year.

Board members asked for additional documentation and follow‑up. One board member asked staff to pull the original EPC contract and to have Johnson Controls and the district’s design consultant (noted in earlier project documents) clarify whether the district’s net‑metering strategy is per meter or aggregated. Johnson Controls said it would check the original design and the utility account configuration and return with a detailed response.

The presentation also covered operational details: when solar production exceeds on‑site use, PSEG records exported kilowatt‑hours as ledger credits rather than immediate cash payments; when the district draws from the grid the net meter reduces the bill to the deficit amount. Johnson Controls explained that the system was sized to avoid becoming a net producer sold back to the utility at typically lower compensation rates.

Board members additionally asked about commissioning timing. Johnson Controls said Eastport, Dayton and South Street systems were online, while the high school and Eastport Elementary roof arrays still required tie‑in and PSEG permission to operate (PTO). The contractor said it would target the district’s February break for the remaining activations but that the utility schedules could push the date.

The board asked Johnson Controls to provide: (1) the EPC production guarantee language from the contract; (2) the per‑meter versus aggregated net‑metering clarification with specific account numbers or account type; and (3) the first annual performance report once 12 months of commissioning data are available. The district’s facilities director and counsel were asked to review the contract language and report back to the board.