SRP installs solar systems in schools
SRP Solar for Schools is a new program which will fund the installation and maintenance of conventional solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in selected schools throughout the state of Arizona. These systems will provide a clean, inexhaustible source of energy .
Selected schools will receive:
- An installed conventional, fixed, flat-panel solar PV system that produces at least 10 kilowatts.
- A 10-year maintenance contract for the PV system.
- Educational materials and educator training related to solar energy.
- A data acquisition system to allow students and staff to monitor system output.
Who is eligible?
Not for profit schools serving grades K-12 will be chosen from at least two public school districts in SRP's electric service territory in Maricopa and Pinal counties, along with schools from two public school districts in eastern Arizona near SRP's Coronado Generating Station, which includes the towns of St. Johns, Springerville, Eagar, and Show Low.
Schools also must meet the following minimum criteria to warrant consideration for the SRP Solar for Schools program:
- School officials must own the building on which the system will be installed.
- School officials must be willing to work with SRP and SRP-selected contractors to ensure the PV system is installed and operating no later than December 31, 2010.
- School officials must be willing to sign a standard SRP solar power agreement and an interconnection agreement if selected.
- School officials must agree to accommodate a preliminary site survey by an SRP-selected contractor.
- School officials must agree to deliver an objective results summary report if selected.
How will participating schools be selected?
SRP received 125 applications for the SRP Solar for Schools program - all of which were put through a rigorous selection process by a team comprised of employees representing SRP's various departments. Team members individually assigned point values to each application based solely on a thorough review of the technical and educational information that each school provided in its application. These scores were then averaged and the schools were ranked accordingly.
The schools that were selected to continue with the site survey process represent those qualifying schools that submitted applications with the highest point values for each respective area (i.e., the area in the vicinity of the Coronado Generating Station and the area within SRP's electric service territory).
List of preliminary schools
- Carol G. Peck Elementary School
- Cheatham Elementary School
- Combs High School
- Cotton Boll Elementary School
- Desert Meadows School
- Desert Palms Elementary School
- Desert Vista High School
- Estrella Vista Elementary School
- Guerrero Elementary School
- Heritage Elementary School
- Ira Murphy Elementary School
- Osborn Middle School
- Pendergast Elementary School
- Round Valley Middle School
- Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School
- Sequoia Village School
- Sky View Elementary School
- Solano Elementary School
- St. John's Middle School
- St. John's High School
- Sundance Elementary School
- Trailside Point School
- Tres Rios Elementary School
- Vista Del Sur Traditional School
Steps towards a final decision
In the next step, SRP's independent contractor will contact each selected school directly in order to arrange for a site survey audit to verify the technical criteria provided in the application and to evaluate the overall feasibility of a solar electric system installation on the relevant school building.
After conducting the site surveys, SRP's independent contractor will prepare and submit to SRP a detailed report for each survey. Specifically, the report will outline any inconsistencies between the actual physical configuration of the building and the data supplied in the application, as well as identify any other issues that could impact the viability of a solar electric system installation. After evaluating these reports, SRP will select the schools that will be included in a request for proposal that will be sent to a variety of solar contractors for the design and installation of the respective solar systems. Upon receipt of the proposals for the various schools, SRP will determine at that time the final list of schools that will receive a solar electric system. SRP anticipates that the final selection will occur in mid-November.
Contact us
For more information about SRP Solar for Schools, please contact Barbara Sprungl, SRP's Solar for Schools project manager, at (602) 236-5374, or by e-mail at solarforschools@srpnet.com.
