CJUSD Installs New Solar Power System

On Saturday, Sept. 24, the Colton Joint Unified School District celebrated the official kick off a district-wide solar project and also got a tour of what will be the district’s largest installation, currently being installed in Grand Terrace High School’s student parking lot. Students, community members, Assemblymember Cheryl Brown and Grand Terrace Mayor Darcy McNaboe joined the district's board members and Grand Terrace High School to celebrate and learn more about solar energy. CJUSD and SunPower Corp. are celebrating the upcoming construction of SunPower® Helix™ carport systems, a project that will include solar installations at 28 sites across the district and will save approximately $35.8 million over 25 years to be redirected into educational programs. It will also provide shade shelters on school campuses and in parking lots. Construction of the carports will take place through 2017, sequenced in three phases to minimize impacts on school operations. Phase 1 schools to be completed by the end of 2016 include Bloomington High School, Grand Terrace High School, Joe Baca Middle School and Ruth Harris Middle School. On completion, SunPower estimates that 73 percent of the district’s electricity will be provided through the SunPower Helix carport systems. CJUSD will buy power at a competitive rate under a power purchase agreement with SunPower and will own the renewable energy credits associated with the systems. The project also features two key elements of SunPower’s Smart Energy product suite. SunPower will provide 1.1 MW of battery storage systems at seven schools to reduce the district’s demand charges at these sites. SunPower will provide the battery systems under a no-money-down Battery Service Agreement that includes a guarantee of peak demand reductions. In addition to the batteries, SunPower will provide its EnergyLink™ Enterprise energy management software, giving CJUSD powerful energy insights about its energy use and accurate reporting about financial savings from SunPower’s solar and storage systems. “This is a truly great project that will allow us to protect the long-term financial health of the district and redirect tens of millions dollars in future revenue toward other district priorities,” said CJUSD Superintendent Jerry Almendarez. “It also allows us to set an example of being environmentally responsible and teach our students about clean energy and sustainability.” “Colton Joint Unified School District will gain significant value for many years to come through the powerful combination of a power purchase agreement and SunPower systems, storage and software,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, business units. “School districts work hard to maximize every dollar, so helping reduce electricity costs through innovative solutions, while inspiring students with the great potential of solar power, is extremely rewarding.” In addition to generating power, the project will also include shade for parking and shelters for students on many campuses. It also reflects the district’s ongoing commitment to both fiscal and environmental responsibility. CJUSD continually works to reduce energy consumption at schools and other district facilities through its energy management program and has increasingly moved from more traditional landscaping such as grass to more drought-tolerant designs using elements such as native plants, concrete and artificial turf. SunPower is a leader in delivering innovative energy solutions to California school districts. At 23 school districts across the state, the company has installed solar power systems totaling more than 90 megawatts which, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), is enough to power 22,500 average California homes.