Arizona School District Completes 2.66 MW Solar Installation -- THE Journal

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Arizona School District Completes 2.66 MW Solar Installation

By Joshua Bolkan
04/18/11

The Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona has completed construction of a 2.66 megawatts solar installation.

The system, engineered and constructed by Solon, is the largest school district solar installation in the state and includes projects at four separate sites:

Paradise Valley signed a solar service agreement and paid nothing up front to have the system installed and will instead pay a fixed rate for energy for the next 20 years. Local utility company Arizona Public Service is also providing incentives for the systems.

"The benefits are immense from our solar system deployments with Solon," said Ken Carter, director of purchasing for the Paradise Valley Unified School District. "These projects offset a large portion--approximately 27 percent in the first year of operation--of the electricity needs of our schools with renewable and sustainable energy and they are made possible because of the Renewable Portfolio Standards that are mandated by the Arizona Corporation Commission and implemented by Arizona Public Service. Through SOLON, we simply buy the electricity generated from these systems below the current APS electricity price, and in turn, have the ability to service our schools for the next 20 years."

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

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