The City of Groton Board of Education is proud to announce the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems at two schools, Groton Middle School and Mystic River Magnet. It is estimated that these systems will save the district more than $40,000 in energy costs annually and more than $800,000 over the life of the power purchase agreements (PPA). The Connecticut Green Bank provided Groton Public Schools with guidance through its Solar Municipal Assistance Program (MAP), which simplified the process of switching to solar energy, allowing the district to access savings benefits with fewer hassles. Solar developer Verogy was responsible for installing the systems.
The system at Groton Middle School has 560 panels rated at 230 kW, and the Mystic River Magnet School has 256 panels rated at 100 kW.
“During the planning and construction of the Groton 2020 initiative, which saw the construction of our three new schools, the community expressed interest in green energy options,” said Susan Austin, Superintendent of Groton Public Schools. “We have partnered with Connecticut Green Bank and received the financing to install the solar panels on two of our new schools at no cost to the community, which will provide significant savings.”
“We will continue to explore future renewable and green energy opportunities. As part of the planned roofing project at Charles Barnum next year, the BOE is interested in solar energy,” she added.
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 provides technical support to municipalities seeking assistance in developing solar PV projects on municipal buildings, such as town halls, emergency services buildings, schools and more. The Green Bank also provides financing for the solar energy systems through a PPA, giving the municipality access to solar energy with no upfront installation costs, no new debt and no operating and maintenance costs.
“We commend Groton Board of Education for their commitment to sustainability for their schools. We are proud to be their clean energy partner and are excited that Groton will benefit from their new solar systems,” said Mackey Dykes, VP Financing Programs at Green Bank.
News item from the Connecticut Green Bank
