Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Rooftop Solar Commissioning Cuts Energy Costs

  • 01/01/18
rooftop solar

Kingspan Energy, with financing from the Connecticut Green Bank, has commissioned nearly one Megawatt of rooftop solar at Carmen Arace Middle and Intermediate School in Bloomfield, Conn. completing its largest project in North America to date.

Kingspan installed 2,926 Hyundai panels on the roof of the school. The building covers approximately 170,000 square feet and is the largest energy consumer in the school district. Carmen Arace houses two schools under one roof, serving more than 500 students in grades 5-8.

The solar system will offset more than 80 percent of the school’s electrical use. The power purchase agreement (PPA) will provide a discount of more than 60 percent over the current electric rate and the PPA has a fixed 25-year term. Wayne Casper, director of Facilities at Bloomfield Public Schools, said the project is expected to save more than $40,000 annually in energy costs and $1.1 million over 25 years.

“This project proves how schools and municipalities can utilize state funding sources to realize savings through solar energy, at zero cost to the end-user,” said Gavin Blower, Kingspan Energy general manager.

The sustainability of solar energy along with the rising cost of electricity makes the cost of a solar-powered energy system equal to or less than that of traditional energy sources. This fact, coupled with growing concern over pollution from other energy sources, has made clean and renewable energy an increasingly attractive option for many consumers, including many school districts.

“Kingspan was also great about providing status updates,” Casper said. “With some projects, it can be very hard to get information. Kingspan was terrific about providing continual feedback on timelines and updates to the project.”

www.kingspanenergy.us

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management January 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.