Solar panels brighten Barstow Unified's budget outlook

Mar 25 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Beau Yarbrough San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.

 

Barstow Unified's biggest energy hogs have a new source of food: The abundant High Desert sunshine.

Eight of the district's most demanding buildings -- seven schools and the district offices -- will have solar panels providing their power.

The solar installations are a chance to "go more green in our district and a great opportunity for savings in tough financial times," said Superintendent Jeff Malan, observing electricians wiring up an array of 1,736 modules outside Barstow Junior High School. "Gosh, it makes perfect sense; we have the sunlight. "

The school was built in the 1960s, with all that entails: The school can serve as a fallout shelter, according to Malan, and more importantly, it features an antiquated climate control system that runs non-stop, even when school is not in session.

The cash-strapped district -- the school board recently voted to close two schools to cut costs -- entered in a power-purchase lease with Los Angeles-based SolarCity, which provides the solar arrays in return for a cut of the power generated.

"The district did not have to commit any out-of-pocket money to the project," Malan said.

The High Desert sun won't cover all the district's energy costs, according to Tony Wardell, the district's assistant superintendent of business services.

"For the 2011-'12 year, we spent $890,000 in electrical costs" district-wide, he said. With

the new solar arrays, "we hope to generate a savings of about $125,000 for next year. "

The money generated will grow over the next 20 years, under the contract with SolarCity.

In the meantime, solar power has become part of the curriculum at Barstow Unified.

"We already have students doing science projects based on the solar structures here" at Barstow Junior High, Malan said. "We really want to embed this in our curriculum. "

Nearby Barstow Community College also features a Solar Technology program, for Barstow Unified graduates who want to make a career out of green energy.

If the solar power project works out as expected, the district may add solar arrays to the rest of its sites.

"It is certainly an option that we are leaving open," Wardell said. "In this time of declining enrollment, we want to make sure we're making the best decisions. "

Reach Beau at via email, call him at 909-483-9376, or find him on Twitter @InlandED.

 

http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=28022785