Virginia school to get 313 kW rooftop solar at no upfront cost

Solar contractor Secure Solar Futures plans to build a 313-kilowatt rooftop solar system at Preston Park Elementary School in Roanoke, Virginia. Construction is expected to start later this year. The school pays nothing up front. Instead, it signs a 25-year power purchase agreement, under which the company will own, operate and maintain the array.

The system uses 531 bifacial panels made by VSUN Solar in Houston, Texas. The array is expected to cover 67% of the power the school uses each year. In its first year it is projected to produce 421 MWh, enough to power 44 average Virginia homes. The school is expected to save $581,000 on electricity over the term of the agreement. One source, citing the US Environmental Protection Agency, puts the avoided carbon pollution at 371 metric tons a year.

Under the agreement, the school buys the energy at a rate below the local utility's price. The sources differ on who funds the project. One report says Pardee Renewable Energy LLC will provide most of the capital. The other describes Pardee and Secure Solar Futures as joint owners. After the 25 years, the school can take ownership of the system for a nominal cost and keep producing its own power for the rest of the equipment's life. One source puts that life at 35 to 40 years.

Still unknown: the exact start and completion dates beyond later this year. The sources also describe the savings differently. One calls it a net avoided cost, while the other calls it expected electricity cost savings. The project covers one school, so it does not show how a home system would be priced under similar terms.