>Ridgewood High School graduate Mike Graifman a solar pioneer

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Ridgewood High School graduate Mike Graifman a solar pioneer 


Ridgewood High School graduate uses energy to help in Haiti

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012
BY JOSEPH CRAMER
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

In 2007, Mike Graifman, a Ridgewood High School senior at the time, made a presentation to the Board of Education about the potential environmental advantages and fiscal savings that could come with the use of renewable energy, specifically solar power.

Ridgewood High School graduate Michael Graifman and several of his classmates and colleagues at Tufts University in Massachusetts installed solar panels at a school in Haiti over winter break.
More than four years later, as the district begins the process of installing solar panels on nine of its buildings, Graifman has just completed a solar energy project of his own, albeit in a place much different from Ridgewood.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/145045285_RHS_graduate_uses_his_energy_to_help_in_Haiti_.html

Regular Public Meeting – Monday, October 8, 2007   
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING 
OF THE 
BOARD OF EDUCATION 
            Ridgewood Public Schools 
Bergen County, New Jersey 
October 8, 2007 
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Education held on Monday, 
October 8, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. at the Education Center

Presentation:  Solar Power
Michael Graifman, Ridgewood  High School senior, made a 
presentation about solar power.  

Regular Public Meeting – Monday, October 8, 2007  

Part I – General Benefits of Use of Solar Energy
Michael explained that a solar panel takes the sun’s energy and
converts it to electricity and said there are many reasons to use
solar energy.  He reviewed the following benefits:
Environmental benefits:
• Solar energy is 100% clean and results in no CO2
emissions.
• It does not require strip mining.
National political benefits:
• Alternate energy keeps the money in the U.S. and provides
freedom from dependency on foreign energy sources.
• It is a growing industry that needs support.
Educational benefits:
• More environmentally geared thinking among students is
needed now and in the future.
• It can be worked into the curriculum.
• It makes a public statement that Ridgewood High School is
living up to its reputation for excellence.
Financial benefits:  
• Solar energy production is 100% free.
• New Jersey is rated one of  the best states for financing
installation of solar energy due to the CORE (Customer
On-site Rebate) program and the SREC (Solar Renewable
Energy Certificate) program.
• It reduces the PSE&G bill.
.
Part 2 – Installation of Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Panels at
Ridgewood High School
Michael discussed the feasibility  of the physical conditions at
Ridgewood High School, showed photographs, described the
proposed system (110.656 KW) and showed how the system size
was calculated. He  elaborated on the three possible financial
pathways: 1) CORE rebate, 2) increase in SREC program, and 3)
a combination of the two programs.
Part 3 – Operation of System
Michael presented graphs showing  electricity production versus
value of energy produced.  He said as the efficiency decreases,
the value of the electricity being produced increases and said this
would be a good investment because the Board would save more
money as the system ages.

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