High school district plans to go solar in a big way (December 08, 2004)

** District may sell power during summer months to PG&E.

By David Boyce

Almanac Staff Writer

If a high school district can be said to manufacture anything, one might include products such as critical thinkers, responsible citizens and occasionally a future professional athlete. Electricity -- the kind used to power streetlights and microwave ovens -- would probably not be on the list.

But if the Sequoia Union High School District realizes its solar energy ambitions, and depending in part on the availability of matching funds from utility companies, the district could supply at least 60 percent of its own power -- and ideally 80 percent -- and during the summer months sell power to PG&E, said Don Gielow, who oversees the district's capital improvements.

Before the year ends, the California Public Utilities Commission is expected to approve a new matching-fund formula for the state's three-year-old Self-Generation Incentive Program. The Sequoia district will apply for funds as soon as the application period begins, possibly in January, said Mr. Gielow. Early applications are usually funded in their entirety, he added.

The Sequoia district spends about $1 million annually on electricity, said Mr. Gielow. With $16 million in solar panels generating about 1 million watts, the district would cut its bill by $600,000 to $800,000 a year if electricity costs rise as expected, he said, adding that with that kind of return on investment, the installation could pay for itself in about 10 years.

The Sequoia district planned to install solar panels at each district campus, with an outlay of about $4 million from the $70 million in Measure H construction bonds approved by voters in November. Earlier in the year, when Measure H was being planned, the district could count on up to $12 million in matching funds, Mr. Gielow said.

Matching funds are less generous now, however, and the district now expects to spend $4 million to $8 million and receive the same in matching funds from PG&E. The additional money would come from undesignated bond funds, Mr. Gielow said.

The Self-Generation Incentive Program is for large customers, but PG&E offers similar incentives for residential customers through the California Energy Commission, said PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno. Enter "Consumer Energy Center" in a Web search engine such as Google; on the Web site, look for the link to rebate programs.
A conserving mindset

The Sequoia district has been in energy conservation mode for some time, said Mr. Gielow. Recently, the district received a $110,000 PG&E rebate -- the largest ever given, he said he was told -- for upgrading the district's fluorescent lighting systems.

Controls for about three-fourths of the district's heating and air conditioning were moved to the district office in Redwood City to set and enforce maximum and minimum settings, said Mr. Gielow.

The conservation program has slowed the rise in the district's energy costs despite bond-funded new construction that added about 100 classrooms, two gymnasiums, and four swimming pools to the district's load. The bills are "not nearly as high as they would have been," Mr. Gielow said.

Solar panels will be installed even if the matching funds do not meet the district's expectations, said Mr. Gielow. "We'll put enough in to get some experience on how much money we'll save," he said.

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