Dec 2 2010
Cupertino Electric, Inc.’s (CEI) Energy Alternatives Division and the Mountain View/Los Altos High School District today announced that CEI will design and build a 1.26 Megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) system spanning multiple campuses for the District.
The solar system is part of a larger modernization program funded by a $41.3 million bond and will be installed on canopies at the District’s Mountain View and Los Altos High School campuses. The system is expected to meet 45 percent of the District’s current electrical needs.
“While we are proud of the recognition we receive for our students’ academic performance, we also feel it is important to educate students on sustainability and their role in the larger community,” said Joe White, Associate Superintendent for Business Services for the District. “The Cupertino Electric-engineered solar system gives us the unique opportunity to explain the science behind renewable energy projects and gives students an opportunity to experience first-hand the rewards of such an investment.”
Construction of the Solar System
The District’s 1.26 MW solar PV system is comprised of two distinct systems installed on ground-mounted canopies: a 755 kilowatt (kW) system on the Mountain View High School campus and a 515 kW system on the Los Alto High School campus. The canopies located in the parking lots of the campuses will span approximately 95,000 square feet. Construction of the system is expected to begin November 29, 2010 and is being managed by Rick Kramer of Kramer Project Development Company, Inc. The project is being constructed in phases to minimize the impact on available student parking spaces at the Mountain View and Los Altos high school campuses.
Environmental Impact of Solar Project
Over its 25-year lifetime, the District’s solar system is expected to produce 39,302,704 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, an amount equal to the annual carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of 100 homes. The estimated kilowatt-hours generated during the lifetime of the system are valued at approximately $11.1 million dollars. In addition to energy savings, the District will receive PG&E rebates worth approximately $1.6 million.
Other Measure A Projects
In the middle of May 2011, the District will begin a swimming pool/weight room project at the Mountain View High School campus. The six-month project will be completed around February 2012. During the summer of 2011, the District also plans to install new Fire, phone and Life Safety systems at the Mountain View and Los Altos High School campuses that are currently being designed. In the spring of 2012, the District will begin adding classrooms at both school campuses as part of the largest project in the $43.1 million Measure A bond proposition.
Source: http://www.cei.com