by Shane Henson — March 29, 2013—REC Solar, a California-based designer and installer of solar systems, was chosen to assist 12 Arizona public schools in substantially reducing their electricity bills through the installation of solar arrays totaling 3.5 megawatts (MW).
This potentially costly venture actually required no upfront costs from the 12 schools, saving them both money and energy. The arrays will allow the schools to lock in lower electricity rates for the lifetime of the systems, expected at more than 20 years, says the company. Each of the 12 schools will have educational kiosks that display data such as sun tracking, kilowatt-hours saved, and information about how much money the school is saving on its electric bill. Teachers can access the data and create lessons plans around how electricity is produced and used.
REC Solar’s management hopes to see more schools take advantage of solar power and its energy-saving and educational opportunities.
“Solar is a cost-effective upgrade for schools nationwide,” said Cary Hayes, director of business development for REC Solar. “Solar electricity saves schools money on their electric bills, reduces budget pressures, and allows funds to be invested where schools need it most—classrooms and kids. We look forward to utilizing our industry expertise to bring solar to more educational facilities, from elementary schools to universities, in Arizona and beyond.”
Educational facilities are a rapidly growing market for REC Solar, notes the company. These recent systems follow a successful project at Cromer Elementary School in Flagstaff, Arizona, where a 450-kilowatt system was completed in May of 2012.
