The Groton Board of Education in Connecticut expects to save $40,000 per year on energy costs after installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on two schools in the town. The system at Groton Middle School has 560 panels with a 230 kW capacity, and the Mystic River Magnet School has 256 panels with 100 kW capacity.
The Connecticut Green Bank provided Groton Public Schools with guidance through its Solar Municipal Assistance Program (MAP), which simplified the process of going solar to allow the district access to the savings benefits with fewer challenges. Solar developer Verogy was responsible for the installation of the systems.
“During the planning and construction of the Groton 2020 initiative, which built our three new schools, the community expressed interest in green energy options,” said Susan Austin, superintendent of Groton Public Schools. “We worked with Connecticut Green Bank and received the financing to install the solar panels at two of our new schools, at no cost to the community, which will provide significant savings.”
The systems at Groton Middle School and Mystic River Magnet School are estimated to save the district more than $800,000 over the term of the power purchase agreements (PPA).
“We’ll continue to explore future opportunities for renewable and green energy. As part of the planned roofing project at Charles Barnum next year, the BOE is interested in looking at solar energy,” Austin said.
Groton is the latest in a series of successful municipal installations completed using the Green Bank’s Solar MAP. Through this program, the Green Bank offers technical support to municipalities seeking assistance in developing solar PV projects on municipal buildings, such as town halls, emergency services buildings, schools and more.
“Groton Middle School and Mystic River Magnet School were designed and built with infrastructure in place to support a plan to install Solar PV systems in the future,” said Rick Norris, Project Manager, Groton Public Schools. “Working with the Green Bank over the last four years through their Solar Municipal Assistance Program and their partners, CSW Energy and Verogy, the district was able to execute that plan. Groton Public Schools is presently working with the Green Bank for solar installations on two other schools and looks forward to completing those projects.”
The Green Bank also provides financing for the solar systems through a PPA, which allows the municipality to access solar with no upfront installation costs, no new debt to incur, and no operations and maintenance costs.
“These arrays not only reflect Groton’s commitment to sustainability, but also offer a real-world example of environmental stewardship for Groton students,” said Will Herchel, CEO of Verogy. “By harnessing solar energy, Groton’s leaders are lighting the path to a greener tomorrow, empowering their community with clean, cost-effective renewable energy solutions.”
