California District Installs Solar Farms at Elementary Schools




Pioneer Union's solar farms. (Aerial view, top, shows Frontier Elementary School's installation.)

California's Pioneer Union Elementary School District (PUESD) has gone solar. The district has installed solar farms at three schools--two elementary and one middle--in an effort to save on operational and energy costs.

The solar farms were unveiled last week at Frontier Elementary School, Pioneer Elementary School, and Pioneer Middle School. They're expected to generate 2.3 million kilowatt hours of energy per year--as much as 77 percent of the electricity needed for the three schools, according to information released by Enfinity, one of the project's developers. Enfinity's partner on the project, Conergy, handled construction of the three ground-based photovoltaic systems, which comprise nearly 11,000 individual solar panels.

"We are dealing with a shrinking tax base and increasing energy costs that are working together to create a 'perfect storm' of challenges for public school districts across the country," said Diane Cox, Pioneer Union Elementary School District superintendent, in a statement released Friday. "We plan to use the cost savings to offset the budget deficit to our district. The dollars saved will go directly back into the classrooms by supporting our existing instructional programs."

Over the course of five years, the solar installations are expected to save a combined total of $150,000, with no upfront costs incurred by the district itself. It will also offset 25,800 tons of CO₂ emissions over the life of the project, according to Enfinity, and provide hands-on science learning activities for students.

Further information about Pioneer's solar program can be found here.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • toolbox featuring a circuit-like AI symbol and containing a screwdriver, wrench, and hammer

    Microsoft Launches AI Tools for Educators

    Microsoft has introduced a variety of AI tools aimed at helping educators develop personalized learning experiences for their students, create content more efficiently, and increase student engagement.

  • AI assistant represented by a glowing blue humanoid figure in front of a laptop, surrounded by interconnected network nodes and data servers

    Network to Code Intros AI Assistant for Enterprise Network Teams

    Network automation firm Network to Code has introduced NautobotGPT, an AI-powered assistant aimed at helping enterprise network engineers create, test, and troubleshoot automation tasks more efficiently.

  • three silhouetted education technology leaders with thought bubbles containing AI-related icons

    Ed Tech Leaders Rank Generative AI as Top Tech Priority

    In a recent CoSN survey, an overwhelming majority of ed tech leaders (94%) said they see AI as having a positive impact on education. Respondents ranked generative AI as their top tech priority, with 80% reporting their districts have gen AI initiatives underway, or plan to in the current school year.

  • robot waving

    Copilot Updates Aim to Personalize AI

    Microsoft has introduced a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.