Letters: Put solar panels on schools, along roads

I would like to add some sensible suggestions to “Heat over solar farm” [News, March 25]. Clearing 60 acres of woodland in Mastic is unacceptable when you consider the loss of thousands of oxygen-producing trees, the loss of homes for wild animals and the destruction of beauty. Also, consider that transmission lines may be needed to connect the power to the grid.

Instead of destroying land, let’s consider using space that is not productive and readily available, such as the rooftops of school buildings. Roofs offer acres of unobstructed surfaces to catch sunshine. The buildings are already connected to power lines.

Schools could gain by generating energy to return to the grid, especially after hours and in the summer when schools are closed. During peak demand from 5 to 8 p.m., electricity generated in this way would be available to meet the increased needs of industry and offices using air conditioning.

I hope that developer Jerry Rosengarten will reconsider his proposal. If he is truly an advocate for the environment, he should consider all the rooftops just sitting empty and begging to be used.

Harold Meinster, Dix Hills

Editor’s note: The writer is an environmentalist and a science teacher at Glen Cove High School.

Many communities, especially on Long Island, where land is at a premium, face the prospect of open space being covered with solar panels.

Solar power is a positive and should be supported and encouraged, but not at the expense of environmentally sensitive land. Have our politicians or environmental agencies thought of placing solar panels on state and federal highways? Putting them on medians and shoulders would alleviate community concerns and leave farmland undisturbed. This could also allow us to partner with electric-car manufacturers to add charging stations along highways, and to light every mile with cheap energy.

Neil Giordano, Lynbrook