Aug 20 2010
Grant Elementary School, located in Redding, California, will go green again this year with the installation of a new solar power generating facility. The school recently installed a 202.5 kW solar power system without any capital investment in collaboration with Solar Power Partners of Mill Valley, CA Spectrum Energy Development has designed the module and installed the system.
For installing the system, the school entered into a solar power purchase agreement with Solar Power Partners and agreed to pay a predetermined charge for the power generated by the system through the course of the contract. The agreement enabled the school to maintain a part of its energy bill constant and predictable for a number of years to save an estimated amount of $600,000 over a period of 20 years. The system is designed to provide a total of 290,689 kWh power during the first year which will offset CO2 emissions of approximately 23,510 gallons of gas or the usage of 40 passenger vehicles.
John Krinkel, Superintendent of the school, said that the school was under constant pressure to seek alternatives for heavy expenditures to benefit students’ education