Payback estimated at 11 years for high school, 20 years for elementary and middle school
The Greene County Community Schools at a special meeting June 2 awarded the contract for photovoltaic (solar) energy installations to Story Construction. The proposed guaranteed maximum price for the base bid is $4,089,718. That included preconstruction and bidding periods services.
The board also approved bid alternates to add a battery energy storage system (BESS) at the high school (with a reduction in the size of the panel array) and to add a BESS and revise the previously proposed plan at the elementary school.
The two bid alternates added $198,937, for a total price of $4,288,655.
Four persons asked questions and made comments during the public hearing. Questions were raised about how federal legislation and any federal or state tax credits available for the project. Superintendent Brett Abbotts said he, Modus Engineering and Story Construction are monitoring those possibilities.
If tax credits become available they could cover from 25 to 40 percent of the cost, Abbotts said. The credits cannot be applied for until the project is completed. The credit would be paid to Story Construction. That company would return the funds to the school as miscellaneous income.
Another person asked about decrease in the performance of solar panels over time. Abbotts agreed that the panels do lose efficiency over time, approximately 0.5 to 1 percent per year, and that warranties and projected savings account for that.
Although the public was given ample opportunity to comment about design of the project several months ago, one attendee asked about battery storage as part of the project. It is not part of the current project but is being considered for a possible future phase.
Financing for the project is already in place. The school district approved a loan note for $5.1 million last August, with payment to come from physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) revenue. The district immediately invested the funds until such time as bills come due on the project. Abbotts estimates the district could net as much as $250,000 in interest over the life of the investment.
Abbotts provided information about payback in savings on utility costs once the photovoltaic system is installed. Payback for the elementary and middle school systems is calculated at 20 years. Payback on the system at the high school is calculated at 11 years. Panels will be installed on the roofs of the elementary and middle school. The array at the high school will be west of the Career Academy. Abbotts said planning was intentional to avoid placing panels in a place that would ever be put into student or educational purposes.
