By Melissa Leu
The Arizona Republic
By the beginning of next school year, students at six Peoria Unified schools should expect to see new solar-panel-equipped shade structures around campus, keeping them cool and generating cheaper electricity.
In an attempt to lower utility bills, the Peoria school board on Thursday unanimously approved six solar projects at Peoria High School and Santa Fe, Desert Harbor, Cheyenne, Coyote Hills and Zuni Hills elementary schools.
This will be the first solar project for the district that covers Peoria and parts of Glendale.
The project is expected to save about $5 million over 20 years and will be completed next September, said Michael Finn, the district’s chief financial officer.
