By Mary Beth Faller and Karen Schmidt | The Arizona Republic
The Cave Creek Unified School District will build parking lot shade structures with solar panels at three elementary schools this year.
The structures at Desert Willow, Horseshoe Trails and Lone Mountain elementary schools will cost about $2.8 million to construct, and APS will give the district a $2.2 million incentive bonus. Cave Creek will pay the remainder with the money it saves over the next 15 years.
At the end of the 15 years, the district will own the panels, says Dennis Roehler, facilities manager for the district.
APS estimates the panels will save about $22,600 a year, Roehler told the governing board, which approved the project Sept. 24.
Meanwhile, solar panels will be installed at three Gilbert Public Schools facilities through a grant from APS, despite objections from two governing board members who complained they constituted an example of government interference.
The board on Sept. 24 voted 3-1 to approve a bid from a vendor that will install the solar panels, saving GPS more than $3.1 million in energy costs over the life of a 20-year contract. Through the incentive, APS will pay the installer 7 cents per kilowatt hour for solar power and the installer in turn charges the district for power.
Out of 13 bids GPS received, Europe-based company Enerparc Inc. offered the lowest bid at 1 cent per kilowatt hour with a peak rate of 1.46 cents.
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, director of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
