Business & Tech

Solar Firm Wraps Redding School Project

Installer inks purchase agreement with elementary school for a 202.50-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system.

Last week's return to school came with an extra jolt for the students at Grant Elementary School in Redding, Calif., as its campus is now home to a massive solar project installed by Solar Power Partners (SPP) of Mill Valley.

Over the summer break, Solar Power Partners installed a 202.50-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system at the school through a power purchase agreement, an arrangement that comprises the bulk of the company's installations. Under the agreement, the school pays no upfront costs for the solar installation or its ongoing maintenance and operation, and will only pay for the electricity it produces at a fixed rate over the term of the 20-year contract.

"SPP is proud to partner with another school to show savings and predictable, stable costs in its overall energy plan, and demonstrate to the community that using alternative energy can be cost-effective, efficient, and attainable," said Bob Powell, the company's president and chief executive, in a statement.

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Grant Elementary Superintendent John Krinkel said the power purchase agreement, under which the school pays only for the power produced by the system at a pre-determined rate over the life of the contract, makes both short- and long-term economic sense for the school's budget.

"As with any public school, we're under pressure to ensure we make wise choices about expenditure that also benefit the community and provide educational value to students," he said. "Incorporating renewable energy has been cost-conscious now and for the future."

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The school expects to save $600,000 over the 20-year agreement. The solar installation is expected to produce more than 290,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in its first year of operation.


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