California K–12 District Debuts 17.5-MW Solar Energy, Storage Portfolio

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/19/24

The Fresno Unified School District in Fresno, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new 17.5-MW, district-wide solar energy and storage portfolio, according to a news release. The district partnered with ForeFront Power, a developer and asset manager of large-scale solar energy projects, to develop the project. The portfolio will save the district an estimated $40 million across its estimated 20-year lifespan, the news release reports.

The district’s solar portfolio consists of 40 different projects, including solar canopies and energy storage systems, at 31 different sites. It will generate 23.5 million kWh of clean, renewable energy to power the annual power use of 3,000 nearby homes. It will also offset more than 18,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, the equivalent of 3,600 fewer cars on the road.

“This solar energy and battery storage portfolio demonstrates our district’s dedication to building a more resilient future for our students and the communities we serve,” said Bob Nelson, FUSD Superintendent. “By upgrading our campuses with innovative, clean energy solutions, we’re unlocking new cost savings that can be redirected back into the classroom, to enhance the quality of learning for our students.”

The partnership also provides the district with access to real-time performance monitoring information, reports and visualizations of energy use and offsets, and curriculum support for the district’s STEM education programs. ForeFront Power’s smart battery storage systems can complement solar canopies to provide relief during maximum use times to avoid peak charges from the utility provider, the news release reports.

“ForeFront Power takes care of every aspect of solar energy solutions for our partner school districts like Fresno Unified,” said Nate Smith-Ide, ForeFront Power’s Senior Sales Manager. “We want to give public school districts an alternative to expensive, unpredictable energy expenditures with guaranteed performance and low costs from renewable energy solutions.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Kansas Opens $400M Football Stadium Reconstruction

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently announced that the $400-million reconstruction of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is complete in time for the 2025 football season, according to a news release. The university partnered with Turner Construction Company on the project.

  • illustration of a school building under construction

    One District, One Way: Bringing Consistency to K–12 Construction Projects

    From budgeting to closeout, here's how a single playbook can turn chaos into clarity in school construction programs.

  • Designing School Spaces for A++ Performance

    In recent years, the educational world has gained greater appreciation for the ways a space’s aesthetics, just like its acoustics, can positively impact educational outcomes. Consequently, engineering, designing, and constructing a school environment demands acoustics to be equally an art and a science, requiring architects and designers to see with their ears, while acousticians must hear with their eyes.

  • Inglewood Unified School District Breaks Ground on New High School

    The Inglewood Unified School District in Inglewood, Calif., recently broke ground on a new campus for Inglewood High School, according to a news release. The project has a budget of about $240 million, funding coming through bond proceeds from Measure I.

Digital Edition