Solar company PsomasFMG has started construction on a $52-million solar power installation for the Antelope Valley Union High School District. The 9.6 Megawatt system, which will use approximately 41,000 photovoltaic panels, constitutes the largest school solar power project to date in California. The panels will be installed in ten campuses within the AVUHSD over steel-frame canopies that will support the solar panels and provide shaded parking for approximately 4,000 faculty and student vehicles. The systems will produce clean energy for more than 80 percent of the school district’s electrical needs, and substantially decrease the district’s electrical costs. Over the next 20 years it will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 250,000 tons. During its first full year of energy independence, the AVUHSD has forecast an 18 percent reduction in electrical expenses. Over the next 20 years, the school district is projected to generate a savings of more than $40 million in energy costs. “These kinds of projects are especially important to our schools: Not only do they promote energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there is potential that the long-term savings in energy costs could be redirected to fund essential education programs and services,” said Paul Mikos, executive vice president of PsomasFMG. PsomasFMG is arranging for private investor financing and the project is being constructed for the school district without any capital expenditures. “The solar solution we are celebrating today is a classic win-win public-private partnership that will help us cut our energy costs and provide shade in our parking lot, with no upfront costs,” said Jeffrey Foster, deputy superintendent for the district. PsomasFMG will provide long-term asset management for the project, which includes the sale of electricity at a fixed rate through a power purchase agreement.
Construction Begins for Largest School Solar Power Installation in California
