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How St. Dominic High School Saves Thousands and Advances Its Mission with Community Solar
As Long Island’s leading community solar provider, PowerMarket manages the region’s largest portfolio of clean energy projects—delivering clean energy and electricity savings to thousands of area residents. Our work, in close collaboration with PSEG Long Island (PSEG-LI), not only supports New York’s renewable energy goals, but also strengthens the local economy and empowers communities of all sizes.
One such community is St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, NY—a private Catholic institution that joined a community power project in Spring of 2022 and is seeing meaningful savings and impact.
A Mission School Embraces Cleaner Energy
We spoke with Edward Wikstrom, Director of Technology at St. Dominic High School and a member of its budget committee, to learn how the school discovered community solar and why it became a natural fit.
“St. Dominic Catholic Church has been a beacon of hope and place of worship for more than 120 years,” Wikstrom explains. “We are dedicated to meeting the spiritual needs of several thousand parishioners, and with our elementary and high schools, we support the academic, personal, and spiritual development of about 500 students from across Long Island.”
As a large campus with over a dozen buildings, energy use was a major operational cost. Wikstrom actively sought ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce expenses—without disrupting school operations or burdening the parish budget.
Community Solar: The Simpler, Smarter Choice
After upgrading the campus lighting to LED, Wikstrom began exploring renewable energy options. Initially rooftop solar seemed like the next logical step. But the scale of the campus—and the cost and complexity of installing solar on more than a dozen buildings—posed significant challenges that couldn’t be overcome. Wikstrom quickly saw that community solar offered a practical, immediate alternative:
“Installing rooftop solar would have required major infrastructure upgrades, high upfront costs, and a significant amount of time to implement,” he recalls. “Community solar offered a far simpler solution—with immediate savings and zero disruption to our day-to-day activities.”
With PowerMarket’s help, the school enrolled all eligible accounts—including the parish, elementary school, high school, and athletic fields—into the community solar program. The switch didn’t require any construction, hardware, or maintenance.
“Some of our school and church leaders were skeptical—it sounded too good to be true. But the parish was all in once we understood there were no upfront costs, no long-term contracts, and no risk. Everything aligned—financially, operationally, and ethically.”
Seamless Enrollment, Measurable Savings
The enrollment process was simple. Wikstrom submitted the parish and school’s PSEG-LI accounts to confirm eligibility after looking at each account’s rate codes and electricity consumption. Within two billing cycles, St. Dominic began to see consistent monthly savings.
“We did our due diligence by reviewing nonprofit case studies like Catholic Charities and confirming PowerMarket’s status as a certified Community Energy subscriber organization with PSEG-LI. That gave us the confidence to move forward.”
Since joining the program, St. Dominic has saved approximately $15,000, money that now supports academic and extracurricular programs across the campus. The school has also transitioned from a solar-based community project to a fuel cell one, unlocking even greater savings.
Additionally, Wikstrom optimized their utility rate structure by switching to residential time-of-use pricing, taking advantage of off-peak rates during school hours and paying higher rates only during peak hours (3–7 PM), benefiting from off-peak pricing during the school day when they consume the least amount of power.
Sustainability as a Teaching Tool
Beyond financial benefits, the school has embraced its clean energy journey as an educational opportunity. Through a partnership with Earth Charter International, St. Dominic High School’s Social Studies Department now offers a credit-bearing course titled “Earth Leadership, Sustainability, and Global Citizenship.” The course introduces students to sustainable development, ethics, leadership, and social change—all rooted in Catholic social teachings.
“Environmental stewardship and social responsibility are core values of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis, in his encyclical letter Laudato Si, calls on all of us to care for our common home. This message helps us live out that calling, both spiritually and practically.”
Community-Wide Impact
St. Dominic’s commitment to clean energy didn’t stop at the campus level. Through PowerMarket’s referral program, Wikstrom and his team promoted the program to parish and school families through email, social media, church bulletins, and their website—leading to 20 household enrollments and earning $1,000 in referral rewards, which were reinvested in student programs.
Wikstrom even signed up his home account as well and stated, “This program is for everyone. All you need is a PSEG-LI account.”
Wikstrom’s message to everyone, especially schools, churches, and community organizations, is clear:
“If you want to lower energy costs without installing solar panels—or if you rent, live in a condo, or don’t have a significant budget—community energy is the best path forward. It’s risk-free, there are no program fees, and it directly supports clean energy projects right here on Long Island. Everyone should consider joining.”
Conclusion
Community solar offers an ideal, compelling solution for schools and mission-driven organizations looking to cut costs and to lead on sustainability. With no upfront investment, no installation required, and guaranteed savings, mission-driven organizations like St. Dominic are demonstrating how clean energy aligns with both fiscal responsibility and spiritual values.
Through smart planning and a partnership with PowerMarket, they’re not just expected to continue saving thousands—they’re serving their community and modeling a great way to care for our shared planet.
One such community is St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, NY—a private Catholic institution that joined a community power project in Spring of 2022 and is seeing meaningful savings and impact.
A Mission School Embraces Cleaner Energy
We spoke with Edward Wikstrom, Director of Technology at St. Dominic High School and a member of its budget committee, to learn how the school discovered community solar and why it became a natural fit.
“St. Dominic Catholic Church has been a beacon of hope and place of worship for more than 120 years,” Wikstrom explains. “We are dedicated to meeting the spiritual needs of several thousand parishioners, and with our elementary and high schools, we support the academic, personal, and spiritual development of about 500 students from across Long Island.”
As a large campus with over a dozen buildings, energy use was a major operational cost. Wikstrom actively sought ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce expenses—without disrupting school operations or burdening the parish budget.
Community Solar: The Simpler, Smarter Choice
After upgrading the campus lighting to LED, Wikstrom began exploring renewable energy options. Initially rooftop solar seemed like the next logical step. But the scale of the campus—and the cost and complexity of installing solar on more than a dozen buildings—posed significant challenges that couldn’t be overcome. Wikstrom quickly saw that community solar offered a practical, immediate alternative:
“Installing rooftop solar would have required major infrastructure upgrades, high upfront costs, and a significant amount of time to implement,” he recalls. “Community solar offered a far simpler solution—with immediate savings and zero disruption to our day-to-day activities.”
With PowerMarket’s help, the school enrolled all eligible accounts—including the parish, elementary school, high school, and athletic fields—into the community solar program. The switch didn’t require any construction, hardware, or maintenance.
“Some of our school and church leaders were skeptical—it sounded too good to be true. But the parish was all in once we understood there were no upfront costs, no long-term contracts, and no risk. Everything aligned—financially, operationally, and ethically.”
Seamless Enrollment, Measurable Savings
The enrollment process was simple. Wikstrom submitted the parish and school’s PSEG-LI accounts to confirm eligibility after looking at each account’s rate codes and electricity consumption. Within two billing cycles, St. Dominic began to see consistent monthly savings.
“We did our due diligence by reviewing nonprofit case studies like Catholic Charities and confirming PowerMarket’s status as a certified Community Energy subscriber organization with PSEG-LI. That gave us the confidence to move forward.”
Since joining the program, St. Dominic has saved approximately $15,000, money that now supports academic and extracurricular programs across the campus. The school has also transitioned from a solar-based community project to a fuel cell one, unlocking even greater savings.
Additionally, Wikstrom optimized their utility rate structure by switching to residential time-of-use pricing, taking advantage of off-peak rates during school hours and paying higher rates only during peak hours (3–7 PM), benefiting from off-peak pricing during the school day when they consume the least amount of power.
Sustainability as a Teaching Tool
Beyond financial benefits, the school has embraced its clean energy journey as an educational opportunity. Through a partnership with Earth Charter International, St. Dominic High School’s Social Studies Department now offers a credit-bearing course titled “Earth Leadership, Sustainability, and Global Citizenship.” The course introduces students to sustainable development, ethics, leadership, and social change—all rooted in Catholic social teachings.
“Environmental stewardship and social responsibility are core values of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis, in his encyclical letter Laudato Si, calls on all of us to care for our common home. This message helps us live out that calling, both spiritually and practically.”
Community-Wide Impact
St. Dominic’s commitment to clean energy didn’t stop at the campus level. Through PowerMarket’s referral program, Wikstrom and his team promoted the program to parish and school families through email, social media, church bulletins, and their website—leading to 20 household enrollments and earning $1,000 in referral rewards, which were reinvested in student programs.
Wikstrom even signed up his home account as well and stated, “This program is for everyone. All you need is a PSEG-LI account.”
Wikstrom’s message to everyone, especially schools, churches, and community organizations, is clear:
“If you want to lower energy costs without installing solar panels—or if you rent, live in a condo, or don’t have a significant budget—community energy is the best path forward. It’s risk-free, there are no program fees, and it directly supports clean energy projects right here on Long Island. Everyone should consider joining.”
Conclusion
Community solar offers an ideal, compelling solution for schools and mission-driven organizations looking to cut costs and to lead on sustainability. With no upfront investment, no installation required, and guaranteed savings, mission-driven organizations like St. Dominic are demonstrating how clean energy aligns with both fiscal responsibility and spiritual values.
Through smart planning and a partnership with PowerMarket, they’re not just expected to continue saving thousands—they’re serving their community and modeling a great way to care for our shared planet.
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