A project to install solar panels on the roof at Barlow Mountain Elementary School in Ridgefield is now nearly complete. When finished, it could save Ridgefield up to $4 million in energy costs over the next 20 years. The work, which is being done at no cost to the town, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Installation is starting at Branchville Elementary School, with Ridgefield High next in line. When finished, each school will generate enough electricity to power 13 houses for a year, but the electricity produced by the solar panels will be used by the schools. To date, seven schools and two town buildings have solar panels installed, each with a 25-year warranty.
Ed Histed
Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.