Eventually, we are all going to have to make the switch to renewable energy – it’s inevitable – non-renewable resources will run out. Odds are, we won’t be able to make the switch in one fell swoop. We will have to gradually create a renewable energy infrastructure that is big enough to sustain the masses on Earth, an ambitious feat for sure. Who knows how long that will take? If we know that we will eventually need to use renewable energy as a resource, why not start now?
One school district in California has indeed decided that now is as good a time as any to start using renewable energy. Escalon Unified School District in California recently developed a “flip-the-switch” clean energy program.
It started last summer, when an energy assessment of the district’s campuses identified opportunities to reduce energy consumption, energy costs and improve facility performance. Escalon Unified School District solar PV installations, exterior lighting upgrades, a pool pump replacement and HVAC upgrades would net Escalon Unified the greatest savings on their electricity bill.
The school district subsequently installed solar power units on all six of its campuses and are now running clean energy. The ground-mounted units were built to function as shade canopies over the school’s parking lot, providing the students and vehicles protection from the harsh rays of the sunlight.
The cumulative energy output for all the solar units in the district produced 2 million kWh in the first year of program – the equivalent of enough clean energy to power over 160 local homes, according to Solar Power World. The program is expected to produce $15.3 million in expected life-time energy savings and reduce the district’s energy costs by 85 percent. Plus, 1,628 metric tons of CO2 emissions will be offset in the program’s first year, almost the same as removing 349 cars from the road, according to Solar Power World.
To us, the success of this energy initiative, and every other new solar application like it, is part of the solution to a brighter future and stronger planet. If you’re ready to “flip the switch”, let us know. We provide solar energy solutions for residential, commercial, industrial and governmental entities in the Sacramento region.
Please contact us at 916-853-2700 to learn more.
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