New SRP program to put solar on school, in classroom

More than 100 schools applied to SRP's Solar for Schools program that will place a minimum 10-kW solar array on the school's roof, a data collection center at the school and new curriculum materials into teachers' lesson plans. (Photo by Salt River Project)

Renewable energy systems and schools are both about preparing for the future, which is why forward-thinking utilities are creating programs like Salt River Project's (SRP) "Solar for Schools."

Launched early this year, Solar for Schools will fund the installation and maintenance of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in selected schools throughout the state of Arizona. The chosen schools will receive:

• An installed conventional, fixed, flat-panel PV system that produces at least 10 kilowatts (kW)

• A 10-year maintenance contract for the PV system

• Educational materials and educator training related to solar energy

• A data acquisition system to allow students and staff to monitor system output

The program got its start as part of an agreement SRP made with the Environmental Protection Agency. The agreement included a budget of $2 million for Solar for Schools, $750,000 in wood stove replacement and $1.25 million to retrofit school buses with emission-control technology.

Not-for-profit, K-12 schools in SRP's service territory in Maricopa and Pinal counties are eligible to apply for Solar for Schools. Schools in two eastern Arizona school districts near the utility's Coronado Generating Station may also participate in the program. Title 1 schools—where more than half the students are on the state's free lunch program—will receive priority. "The goal is to put the arrays where they will do the most good," explained Lori Singleton, SRP's manager of sustainability initiatives and technologies.

SRP announced Solar for Schools with a press release and sent application packets to all of the 650 schools in its territory and near the Coronado Generating Station. "We were a little concerned initially that we might not get enough applicants," admitted Lori Singleton.

Applicants ready to work with utility

The minimum criteria proved to be no barrier for the 125 schools that returned applications. "Now we are looking at different options for extending the program past the initial offering," said Singleton.

To be considered for the program, SRP requires schools to:

• Own the building on which the system will be installed

• Work with SRP and SRP contractors to get the PV system installed and operating by Dec. 31, 2010

• Sign a standard solar power agreement and an interconnection agreement, if selected

• Accommodate a preliminary site survey by SRP's contractor

• Deliver an objective results summary report if selected

SRP will install and maintain the system on the building roof and install the data center in the school. The PV system will be net-metered, but a 10-kW system is not likely to generate excess electricity, even during school holidays. "This size of array provides more educational benefits than power," said Singleton. "If we continue this program, it would be great to put in systems that make more of a dent in the schools' electricity demands."

The future of Solar for Schools may be determined in part by what SRP learns from the objective results summaries participating schools must submit. The report on areas of the program that went well and those that need improvement will provide lessons SRP could incorporate into another round of school projects. The interest is clearly there if the funding can be found, but first the selection process must determine whether or not the applicants are actually suitable solar sites.

Site inspections necessary

The SRP selection team, made up of employees from various departments, is now evaluating applications to compile a list of schools that will derive the most benefits from the program. An independent survey is the next step for the schools that make the list. Singleton acknowledged that a building that sounds like a good candidate for a solar array on paper might not make the cut. "There are so many variables—the size and condition of the roof, the building's orientation and exposure," she said.

The selection process is expected to be completed by mid-August, and SRP hopes to begin construction on the first system by spring of 2010. The number of schools that ultimately receive solar systems depends on how far the funding will go.

Communicating with future consumers

Arizona schools, like so many others around the country, have been hard hit by the current economy, noted Singleton. Well before the EPA deal, SRP was looking for a new idea that could offer some relief. Solar for Schools just helped to get the ball rolling on the latest of the utility's many outreach programs that target schools.

SRP's K-12 education program, "Powering Our Future," developed in partnership with the Arizona Foundation for Resource Education (AFRE), has trained more than 200 teachers over the past four years. That experience provided a framework for creating the Solar for Schools curriculum and teacher training for introducing energy science into the classroom.

The utility also offers electricity and safety classroom presentations, and funds grants for school projects. A Phoenix student used one such grant to build solar golf carts for the maintenance crew at his high school. "The student had to apply for the grant through the school, and then he went on to promote his project," Singleton recalled. "He has a great future in the utility industry."

That may not be a joke, as Singleton added that one SRP engineer became interested in solar power because of the utility's school programs. "Our goal is to educate the next generation of consumers," she acknowledged.

Resources

Salt River Project

Arizona Foundation for Resource Education

People

Lori Singleton

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