Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

NY District Covering All Electricity Needs with Solar

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 04/06/21

A New York school district is now generating all of its electricity needs through a 4.1-megawatt solar project. Maine-Endwell Central School District in Endwell activated its system, located on district property next to an elementary school, on March 23. It's expected to save the district more than $6.2 million in future energy costs over the course of 25 years.

The project covers 15 acres and includes 6,240 solar panels. According to the district, it's the largest solar array owned by a school system in the state to reach 100% solar offset. The project was engineered by Eisenbach & Ruhnke Engineering and installed by Renovus Solar, both New York-based companies.

Maine-Endwell School District Solar Energy
Photo credit: Flying Brick Photography and Maine-Endwell Central School District

The system was expected to cost $7.3 million; however, that was offset by 82% through a state solar program incentive of $819,237 and additional state aid of $5.2 million.

The local utility company monitors the amount of solar array production through remote net metering and turns it into rolling credits, which are then applied to the district's utility bill throughout the year, including during the winter months when little to no energy is produced.

The solar initiative began in September 2019 when the district's board of education signed a "pre-development" agreement with Renovus. Construction was started last July 2020 and finished in November.

"Through visionary leadership and foresight, the Maine-Endwell Central School District and Renovus Solar have created a thoughtful and responsible solution to our electricity needs," said Maine-Endwell Superintendent Jason Van Fossen, in a statement. "Equally important, we have created the opportunity for our students and staff to learn the value of renewable energy resources, while providing our community with long-term cost-savings."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Fargo, N.D., Starts Construction on Consolidated Elementary School

    Fargo Public Schools in Fargo, N.D., recently announced the beginning of construction on a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with ICON Architectural Group and Kraus-Anderson Construction on the new Horace Mann Elementary School.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.