Solar energy will now account for nearly half of the energy use at Sandy Spring Friends School, a private school in Sandy Spring. 

Montgomery County and business officials who helped with the project joined the school Wednesday to celebrate the installation of a solar energy system that will power 40 percent of the campus, according to news releases from the county and school.

Sandy Spring Friends School has about 550 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

The solar energy system will use 4,000 ground-mounted solar panels that cover about four acres of the 148-acre campus near the entrance to the school's Adventure Park.  School spokesperson Sarah Margolis said that the county was helpful in the permitting and land use process that allowed for the extensive installation.

"That's where Montgomery County was very cooperative," Margolis said.

Each year, 665,000 kilowatt hours will be produced by the solar energy system, which is equal to taking about 99 passenger vehicles off the road each year or to reducing oil consumption by 1,173 barrels, according to a news release.

Montgomery County-based Standard Solar, Inc. developed the plan and it was financed by UGI Performance Solutions.  Solar energy installations typically are costly and frequently require financing that allows those taking on such projects to pay as energy costs savings are realized.