Gaining Solar Advantages Via a Power Purchase Agreement

Sedona administrators were fortunate to have bond money to invest in their solar equipment and program. Not all school districts can afford to do the same. For those districts, there is a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

With a PPA, a third-party, such as Borrego Solar, with locations throughout California and in the North East, owns the equipment in a developer role, and sells the solar power to the school district. The power is sold to the district at a set, reduced rate for a specified period of time. At the end of the contract, the district owns the system in its entirety. “That’s the trend right now in Arizona,” says Kinney Construction’s Michael Thomas, LEED-AP, “and probably in the Southwest, simply because districts don’t have the money to pay for it upfront.”

“It’s a good program for school districts,” says Mike Hall, Borrego’s CEO, “because they don’t have to come up with the capital, and they don’t have to put themselves at risk for the technology performing. They simply pay for the energy that’s used.” In addition to serving as a PPA, Borrego also serves as a solar designer, installer and financier.

Featured

  • Fayetteville State University Opens New Residence Hall

    Fayetteville State University (FSU) in Fayetteville, N.C., recently completed construction on a new $50-million residence hall, according to a news release. The university partnered with KWK/Jenkins • Peer Architects on the design of Bronco Pride Hall.

  • 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.

  • California School District Starts Construction on Public Safety Center

    The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) recently announced that construction has begun on a new public safety center that will house the district’s safety and security programs. According to a news release, the James Ramos Center for Public Safety will measure in at 17,140 square feet and contain the district’s Police Department, Office of Emergency Management, and cadet program.

  • 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.