California School District To Save $12 Million with Solar Power
The Mountain View Los Altos High School District in California has nearly completed construction of a 1.26 megawatt solar photovoltaic system.
The parking lot canopy system was designed and built by Cupertino Electric and funded by a local bond measure.
The system includes a 755 kilowatt installation at Mountain View High School and a 515 kW installation at Los Altos High School. All of the solar panels have been installed, and school representatives said they expect construction to be completed in May.
According to information released by the school district, the system will produce 39.3 million KWH and save more than $12 million through reduced energy costs and rebates from Pacific Gas and Electric over 25 years.
Joe White, Mountain View Los Altos High School District associate superintendent for business services, said, "The 1.26 MW solar system should provide enough power to meet nearly half of the district’s electrical needs and demonstrate why the Los Altos and Mountain View High Schools were one of the first high schools in the county to achieve 'Green School' certification status."
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Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].