San Jose, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] San Jose Unified School District, Chevron Energy Solutions and Bank of America have completed what is believed to be the largest K-12 solar and energy efficiency project in the United States. The project, which includes a total of 5.5 megawatts of solar power at 14 district sites, is expected to reduce the district’s energy costs by more than 30 percent.
Reductions in energy costs are expected to save the district’s general fund more than US $25 million over the 25-year life of the project. The district was not required to provide any capital investment, allowing it to retain its capital budget for other important infrastructure projects.
“San José Unified School District remains on the ‘cutting edge’ of change, whether it is bringing state of the art technology to our classrooms, best practices for teaching and learning to our staff and students, or in this case a solar and energy efficiency program that not only has a positive impact on our environment but also a positive impact on our budget,” said San José Unified Superintendent Don Iglesias. “We will continue to seek out partnerships such as these, that are a win-win for the community and benefit San José Unified School District.”
Chevron Energy Solutions designed, built and operates the solar arrays for the district. The company also provides maintenance for the solar energy system, measures and guarantees its performance while selling the electricity to the district.
