The first six solar systems in a 15-system portfolio have now been completed in Wayne County, West Virginia. The systems are installed by Solar shout for the Wayne County School District.
Always greena marketplace that enables companies of all sizes to participate in the energy transition through the purchase and sale of long-term renewable energy certificates (RECs), has aggregated the corporate buyers for the portfolio.
Recognizing that rooftop solar could reduce long-term energy costs and redirect savings back to education, the Wayne County School District entered into a PPA with Solar Holler to lock in a long-term energy rate. To ensure the schools saved money and the projects could move forward, Ever.green collected business demand from corporate energy buyers who valued high-impact RECs.
With six systems completed and nine more under construction, the school district expects approximately $150,000 to $200,000 in annual energy savings to flow directly back into the district’s operating budget.
“Our work with Wayne County Schools and Solar Holler is an ideal example of how corporate climate commitments can be structured to have a direct impact on community-based sustainable energy projects, where traditional financing is often overlooked,” said Cris Eugster, CEO and co-founder of Ever.green. “In addition to emissions reductions, this project creates savings that will directly benefit students, while also creating high-quality, local clean energy jobs, supporting long-term employment in the region.”
Like many other school districts, energy is one of the largest operating expenses for the Wayne County School District, and rising electricity costs are increasing pressure on already tight budgets. District leaders knew that installing solar on school roofs would result in lower energy costs in the long term, but the challenge was that solar projects require significant upfront capital. To address the financing gap, Ever.green has structured REC high-impact contracts from corporate buyers committed to adding new renewable energy to the grid through projects that also deliver measurable community benefits. By entering into long-term REC contracts at a meaningful price, these corporate buyers provided the additional, contracted revenue Solar Holler needed to move forward, while offering Wayne County Schools a PPA rate that delivered immediate savings.
“Ever.green’s contribution made the difference and made these projects buildable,” said Heather Ransom, Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications at Solar Holler. “There are a lot of pieces to the financial puzzle, and having that certainty of revenue at just the right time has gotten us across the finish line.”
“Under some of the projections we looked at over the life of this PPA agreement, it would basically fund two educational careers,” said Todd Alexander, superintendent of Wayne County Schools. “The companies involved in our project contribute to our savings, which allows us to provide services to students, so it is a benefit to the entire community.”
Wayne County Schools’ solar projects illustrate how companies’ climate commitments can be structured to directly impact communities and school districts. Nearly 8,000 rural school districts in the United States face similar budget pressures, collectively spending billions of dollars annually on energy that could instead support students and teachers. As demonstrated by this innovative REC agreement, Ever.green’s approach creates a clear channel for corporate climate dollars to enable projects that make an impact. When corporate buyers, mission-focused developers, and community needs come together, the result is sustainable, locally based climate action with benefits that extend far beyond the grid.
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