Cash-strapped California schools seek savings through solar

[LAGC]

With the help of low-interest loans from the federal government, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District installed 10,000 photovoltaic panels at five schools. It was one of 90 systems in California, including some colleges, to do so.

Those panels should create enough electricity to offset 67% to 75% of each school's electrical use, a San Ramon Valley official said. The savings initially will be used to pay back the loans, which came from federal stimulus funds, officials said.

The panels will effectively pay for themselves in 16 years, said Terry Koehne, a spokesman for the San Ramon Valley district, which has 35 schools and 27,000 students about 30 miles east of San Francisco.

"It's pure profit after that," he told CNN. "And following that, we're going to start realizing savings of $2 (million), $3 (million), $4 million a year."
..
..
(more)

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/17/solar.schools.california/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Wow, guess the economics of solar are really starting to bear fruit.

[Arctic Dave]

1. Baffles me to think that all this time was wasted by not putting PV systems

into place. A school roof seems like the ideas place to put them. Other then the occassional ball or shoe thrown up there all it does it recieve sunshine all day.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Often, the isn't the available additional dead load capacity to the roof structure.

That was the case with our school campus.

Last year I wrote an RFP for a 500 kW solar shaded parking structure.

At twice the cost, it still pays for itself.

More than the roof structure, however, is the institutional inertia and general ignorance of those in power in school systems.

fingers crossed on my project, it's funded but hasn't begun yet!

[Arctic Dave]

3. Good luck to you. May logic prevail. nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Good luck!!

[XemaSab]

6. Schools seem like an ideal first stop for PV

Schools are open during the day and use lots of power that's funded out of taxpayer pockets. Spending a few thousand now could save tens of thousands down the road. This means that the savings would be passed on to the people in the community.

Most schools have wide, flat roofs. Big roofs seem like a better choice than unpaved fields.

Schools could also feed power into the grid during the summer when they are not used.

I really don't know why this isn't ubiquitous.

[msongs]

8. it is also a fabulous example for the students nt

[Arctic Dave]

10. Much better then I could say. Thumbs up. nt

[exboyfil]

4. I don't know but 16 year payback

seems like a really long time. Lots can happen in 16 years. I am not saying that it was not a good idea, but it is not an immediate slam dunk cost savings idea. What happens if solar efficiencies increase and the prices go do in the next few years? You will be looking at a net loser for the investment. Obviously wider societal goals are present, but 16 years is a long time for any investment.

[XemaSab]

7. When you vote for a school bond, what is the time frame for payback?

And what is the interest on the bond?

I think a 16-year ROI is entirely reasonable.

[FBaggins]

13. School buildings last longer than solar panels

They also get more and more expensive to construct, while panels keep getting cheaper (and better).

That makes school buildings ideal for long-term financing since you're willing to pay now for something that would be more expensive to build by the time you saved up the money.

Instead, they will probably find themselves ten years from now still paying for panels that produce less than the new models (that would have paid themselves off much faster). But you have to start somewhere. Thise better/cheaper panels only get developed if someone buys the current models.

[XemaSab]

14. Yes, but the price of electricity keeps going up

Doing one large installation at a school makes more sense than doing 20 installations at private homes.

[FBaggins]

15. Does it?

The price of electricity has risen slower than the rate of inflation over the last few decades. In fact, if you take the short-term history out of the mix, it's hardly changed in decades.

[Travis_0004]

11. No improvement is without any risk

16 years may be a long time, but I think there are very little risk. Sure technology will improve, but sometimes you just need to make changes now. Something better is always around the corner. Plus, besides something like the panels breaking, or getting damaged/stolen, (and I assume they are insured), there isn't much risk. The only risk is electricity prices going down in the future, or at least not rising as fast as predicted, and that is probably unlikely.

[midnight]

9. The first time Gov. Brown was Governor he lead the way on solar... Glad to see this

movement a foot....

[Hatchling]

12. San Diego Mesa College is doing major construction.

Three parking lots and a parking structure have had solar panelss installed which also creates shade for the cars. And all the new buildings either have or will have solar panels installed, The parking lots are said to have saved $50,0000 a year in power costs so far.