Latest news with #SolarforSchools
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Central Cambria board hears from prospective solar contractors
EBENSBURG, Pa. – Central Cambria School District's solar project at the Cambria Township campus has been narrowed down to two candidates, and Monday the school board heard from those prospects. BAI Group presented first, followed by McClure Co. and Envinity, which are partnering on the potential work. The order was decided by a coin flip. 'Both were fantastic,' Superintendent Jason Moore said. Thomas Woods, board president, agreed. Woods said the companies have 'solid reputations' in this field and the representatives provided great information. The district is exploring a power purchase agreement in which the chosen company, which will likely be picked at the June 16 meeting, will absorb the cost of installation and upkeep for the solar arrays and sell electricity to Central Cambria at a set rate for the duration of a 28-year contract. Potential array locations include the middle and high school roofs and Cambria Elementary roof as well as potential ground mounted units, such as around the football field or at the former baseball field. Moore said the Jackson Elementary project that recently was awarded a Solar for Schools grant is separate from this undertaking. Sel Edor, BAI general manager of renewables, told the four board members in attendance that his company could provide a roughly 2.5 megawatt array that would supply electricity at a rate of 6.4 cents per kilowatt-hours. 'Obviously, we want to produce as much electricity as you can use,' Edor said. BAI's proposal was for 80% of the campus's total electrical consumption. Central Cambria consumes around 4 million kWh annually at a rate of 11 cents per kWh, for a cost of around $700,000 per year, Moore said. Edor said despite BAI's proposal being 80%, it is possible for the Cambria Township campus to reach 100% offset of consumption. McClure and Envinity's presentation included 100% offset of electrical use at about 9 cents kWh. However, that would mean 'a lot of solar in a lot of places,' Envinity Commercial Solar Development Manager Cam Willison said. Christopher Stultz, McClure vice president of strategic solutions, said the cost per kilowatt-hour may change as well if their proposal is accepted. He told the board the companies would 'value engineer' the project and explore efficiency measures that could impact that cost. Greg Winks, Envinity director of solar business development, and Damian Zampogna, McClure Manager of renewable solutions, presented as well. Both sets of presenters said a ballasted system would be used for roof installation to avoid direct connections to the covering but still secure the arrays. They also projected the installation may extend more than a year. Woods said the reason the board is exploring a solar project is because the district wants to offset costs they can't control, such as electricity, and reinvest those savings back into the education of the students. He also said that when a contractor is chosen, the board will pay close attention to the economic and aesthetic aspects of the undertaking.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Old Forge School District receives $400,000 solar grant
Old Forge School District officials will look into solar power for the district thanks to funding from a state grant. The district received $400,000 through the Solar for Schools program, state Sen. Marty Flynn, D-22, Dunmore, announced this week. The money will be used to support the installation of solar energy infrastructure at the district, his office said in a news release. Flynn added it will help reduce long-term energy costs and promote sustainability in school operations. Superintendent Christopher Gatto said the idea of putting solar panels in the district came about prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when he, then-Superintendent Erin Keating, Ed.D., and Business Manager Brian Rinaldi met with a solar company representative that reached out to them. He said they were interested at the time, but when the pandemic occurred, the project got put on the back burner. Gatto decided to apply for the grant after speaking with state Rep. Jim Haddock, D-118, Pittston Twp., in the fall. He said securing the funding for a project like installing solar panels makes it easier to pursue and he's grateful to receive the funds. 'For a district our size, any dollar that we can get goes a long way,' Gatto said. The board approved his request to apply for the grant in January. He plans to issue a request for proposals for companies to install the panels, assess the district property and figure out what array works for the district from a financial and land-use perspective. The district had an assessment done of its buildings and property to determine the feasibility for solar energy and as part of the application process. Officials have not determined how many panels will be installed or where they would be installed. They are figuring out their cost, what the district can afford, what the grant will cover and what money will be set aside for them. Gatto said the decision where the panels will be installed would need to be made in consultation with the company that is awarded the bid. 'We need to assess what works best for us from the standpoint of offsetting our electricity costs and also the property and how we utilize the property and what spots we could use,' he said. Gatto said there is potential for the district to save $2.7 million over 30 years and the project would pay for itself in approximately three years. He hopes power generated by the panels will offset as much of what the district spends on electricity as possible, allowing officials to use money normally spent for electricity on other things. The panels can also be used from an educational standpoint. Gatto said he envisions science classes using them. Established in July of last year, the Solar for Schools program provides grants to school districts, intermediate units, charter schools, career and technical schools, chartered schools for the education of the deaf or blind, community colleges and technology colleges to cover solar project costs, including aiding in the purchase and installation of equipment, permit fees, energy storage and utility interconnection. The program is administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development and funded through the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The Hanover Area School District in Luzerne County was also awarded $400,000 to install solar panels on the roof of the high school. Local Share Account grants In addition to the Solar for Schools program, the Commonwealth Financing Authority also funded Local Share Account grants for multiple projects in Lackawanna County. Those projects and the amounts awarded to them are: • Archbald American Legion Post 328, HVAC system and window replacement, $38,000. • Ballet Theater of Scranton, new theater equipment, $42,393. • Blakely, new vehicle for the Police Department, $65,000. • Carbondale, new trailer-mounted sewer jet machine, $75,000 • Carbondale Little League, purchase and installation of new field lights at Russell Park, $59,375. • Clarks Green, Municipal Building emergency generator project, $49,140. • Clarks Summit, new patrol vehicle, $66,211. • Connell Park, Scranton, equipment, backstop and driveway reconstruction, $30,791. • Dickson City, commercial enforcement vehicle, $80,000. • Dunmore School District, paving and security upgrades, $100,000. • Eynon Sturges Volunteer Hose Company No. 3, paving and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility improvements, $30,000. • Glenburn Twp., compact wheel loader purchase, $106,000. • Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, South Abington Twp., purchase and installation of a new HVAC system, $105,000. • Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Dunmore, equipment, flooring replacement and building repairs, $50,000. • Indo American Community of Scranton, equipment project, $51,143. • Jessup VFW Post 5544, building renovations, $50,000. • Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour, site improvements, $125,000. • Lackawanna County, trail maintenance equipment project, $81,000. • La Festa Italiana of Lackawanna County, equipment and storage project, $80,895. • Lakeland School District, playground renovation at Mayfield Elementary School, $50,000. • Mayfield Police Department, new vehicle, $50,000. • Minooka Athletic Association, field updates, $19,789. • Moosic, new Police Department vehicle, $85,781. • Moosic Little League, lighting and field project, $121,052. • North Scranton Little League, batting cage project, $100,000. • Old Forge, two new police vehicles, $102,130. • Olyphant, updates and renovations to the downtown area, $67,684. • Scranton Cultural Center, restoration project, $74,535. • Scranton Preparatory School, lighting project, $113,260. • Scranton Tennis Club, Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility project, $110,000. • South Abington Twp., police vehicle purchase, $67,000. • Taylor Memorial Cemetery, improvements, $104,450. • Waverly Twp. Police Department, equipment upgrades, $39,849.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State officials announce solar grant for Central Cambria
EBENSBURG, Pa. – Central Cambria School District has earned a Solar for Schools grant to install solar energy at Jackson Elementary School in Jackson Township. State Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-Richland Township, and state Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township, announced the news Tuesday. 'Every dollar a school district spends on energy is a dollar it can't spend on educating children,' Langerholc said in a release. 'This grant will help pay for a project that will save taxpayer dollars and free up funds for education.' Burns said in a statement that elected officials heard Central Cambria's request for assistance and are happy to help. 'We took their message to heart and now they will benefit from a state grant to help them reduce their electricity bills by generating their own electricity,' Burns said. 'It's advanced thinking like this that will help the district save costs and enable the districts to focus more on educating students and supporting their teachers.' Central Cambria will receive $148,256 to purchase and install a 181-kilowatt system on the elementary roof. The total project cost is estimated to be $370,640, and the average annual savings to the district is expected to be $22,374. Solar for Schools is a novel competitive grant program created in 2024 and funded through the 2024-25 budget.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pa. awards $22.5 million in Solar for Schools grants to help 73 schools reduce energy costs
A solar array. (Robert Zullo/ States Newsroom) Pennsylvania has awarded grants totaling $22.5 million to 73 schools across the state to help pay for solar energy installations, the Commonwealth Financing Authority announced Tuesday. The awards under the Department of Community and Economic Development's Solar for Schools program will provide up to $500,000 to each school. The solar arrays they help pay for could save school districts millions of dollars in energy costs, state Rep. Elizabeth Fieldler (D-Philadelphia) said. 'I am so happy for each of these schools and excited to see names from nearly every corner of the state,' Fiedler, who introduced legislation to create the program last year, said. 'I've heard from rural schools who plan to include their solar panels in agricultural education and from city schools that are thinking strategically about rooftop solar with limited space. I have no doubt that the recipients will benefit from the program's flexibility to meet their school's needs and to make the most of their strengths.' The grant awards come as the legislature is preparing for the final month before the state budget is due June 30. The current budget included up to $25 million for the Solar for Schools program and Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed to match that amount in the upcoming budget. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Fiedler's bill, which passed both chambers of the General Assembly with broad bipartisan support last summer, was created as a way to address the school funding crisis, rising utility costs and climate change together, her office said. 'As energy costs rise, diversifying our energy sources is more important than ever. Increased energy usage throughout the country also puts us at a higher risk because of the inadequate power grid,' state Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Greene) said. 'Schools that use solar panels will counteract that problem by improving Pennsylvania's energy security and lowering costs – saving millions of dollars of taxpayer money.' It also received strong support from building trade unions, whose members will benefit from the construction jobs the grants help to create. 'These new projects through Solar for Schools will open up doors for workers across the state,' said Robert S. Bair, president of the Pennsylvania Building Trades Council. 'Energy jobs are crucial in Pennsylvania. Labor needs to be on the forefront of growing industries like solar.' Union support was, in part, the result of a yearslong effort to strengthen relationships between environmental and labor advocates, who recognize the adoption of renewable energy sources requires skilled workers just as fossil fuel plants do. In the initial round of applications for Solar for School, districts from rural, suburban and urban areas requested $88 million, more than three times the amount available in the current budget. The grants awarded totaled less than the full $25 million because the money is divided between three regions and the DCED did not find enough qualifying applications in one of them, Fiedler said. While interest in renewable energy is growing and political support for such programs is broadening, solar energy still faces hurdles in state government. With the overwhelming response to the initial appropriation, Fiedler said she is hopeful that at least another $25 million Solar for Schools will be approved as part of the next budget. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Officials lift suspension on initiative to bring low-cost power to homes and schools: 'Creates additional savings'
The Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC) has lifted a year-long suspension on programs offering solar incentives for public schools and low-income households. According to PV Magazine, the MPSC initially voted to suspend the incentives in 2024, reasoning that they weren't necessary with the Solar for All program offering funding to the state. However, Mississippi didn't receive any funding from the federal government, prompting the commission to vote unanimously on lifting the suspension. One of the programs the commission originally suspended was "Solar for Schools." This initiative enables school districts powered by Mississippi Power Company or Entergy Mississippi to install solar energy systems and offset their utility bills without any upfront cost. It also allows the eligible school districts to collaborate with a third-party solar company that finances, installs, and owns the solar facilities. The company sells the generated electricity to the schools through a power purchase agreement (PPA). The "Solar for Schools" program also covers incentives for battery storage and low-income households through the state's distributed generation rule. Per PV Magazine, a customer must either have a household income at or below 225% of the federal poverty level or a similar stipulation approved by the commission to be eligible for the incentive provided for low-income households. According to Mississippi Today, the state's distributed generation rule is similar to net metering, a program in which power companies reimburse customers who generate their own solar power and sell the surplus electricity generated back to the grid. However, Mississippi's program offers lower reimbursements compared to other states. By lifting the suspension on solar incentives in Mississippi, the commission is paving the way for more affordable and accessible solar energy for the state's residents, particularly school districts and low-income households. In addition to the state's incentives, Mississippi homeowners who install solar panels may also qualify for tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA rewards homeowners who upgrade to energy-efficient home solutions, like solar panels and heat pumps. However, it's important to note that these incentives might not last forever. President Donald Trump has signaled a desire to repeal these benefits, although changes to the IRA would require an act of Congress. However, the uncertainty of how long they'll last is all the more reason to take advantage sooner rather than later. Acting now could save homeowners thousands of dollars. Should the government continue to give tax incentives for energy-efficient home upgrades? Absolutely No Depends on the upgrade I don't know Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The state's solar incentives also support wider adoption of solar energy, which can help to reduce planet-warming gas emissions from dirty energy sources and cool the planet. In 2023, about 60% of electricity generated in the US came from coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Solar panels harness energy from the sun, offering a clean and renewable alternative that doesn't produce harmful pollution. "For schools and homeowners that want to save money on their light bill, yesterday's vote creates additional savings to install solar," the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industry Association's executive director, Monika Gerhart, wrote in an email, according to Mississippi Today. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
