by Shane Henson — December 5, 2011—Through a joint venture with Smart Energy Capital, Duke Energy Renewables and Integrys Energy Services helped five Pennsylvania schools lower their energy costs through installing rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems.
The PV rooftop solar arrays in operation at Bald Eagle Middle and High School, Wingate Elementary School, Bellefonte Area High School, Marion Walker Elementary School and Pleasant Gap Elementary School can collectively produce approximately 1.5 megawatts (direct current) of zero-emission electricity, according to the companies.
According to Duke Energy, these central Pennsylvania school districts are purchasing all of the output from their respective PV systems at a fixed rate per kilowatt-hour under the terms of a 20-year power purchase agreement with a project company owned by INDU Solar Holdings. INDU is a 50-50 joint venture between Duke Energy Renewables and Integrys Energy Services.
These PV solar projects are examples of the development model announced by the INDU partners and Smart Energy Capital in October 2010. At that time, the companies committed to jointly pursue the development of rooftop and smaller ground-mounted solar projects for customers throughout the United States. The project partners are pursuing several other PV projects in various stages of development.
Smart Energy Capital, together with its strategic partner Tremco Roofing, developed the rooftop PV projects for both school districts, which included securing Pennsylvania solar energy grants (initially for Bald Eagle and subsequently for Bellefonte) and arranging the sale of solar renewable energy certificates. INDU financed all of the construction costs for the projects.
