ENGIE North America has completed Chula Vista Elementary School District’s solar project in California. The district now has 8.1 MW of solar installed across 48 sites and is finalizing the installation of a microgrid system. The microgrid is located at the Education Service and Support Center and powered through solar and batteries to provide backup emergency power to the district’s IT department, additional servers and the Child Nutrition freezer. The microgrid’s battery storage system will also provide electricity during peak time periods.
The solar installation includes 18,050 panels installed as shade structures at 46 schools, the Transportation Yard, and the Education Service and Support Center. The $32 million project was funded through a G.O. Bond and is expected to save the district more than $70 million in net electricity costs over the next 25 years.
“That is $70 million in savings even after project costs have been paid for,” says Deputy Superintendent Oscar Esquivel. “By the end of this project, we think we will be able to generate about 90 percent of the district’s overall energy demands. That is a tremendous amount of energy – and savings for our district. This is a ‘green’ project both environmentally and fiscally.”
“We have a demonstrated commitment to strengthening environmental sustainability efforts that our community recognizes,” Esquivel adds. “Our team has done an outstanding job of continually finding ways to increase energy efficiency and savings while doing our part to improve the environment. We want to model for our students the importance of energy awareness, conservation, and sustainability.”
“Our ENGIE North America team is proud to deliver customized solar and microgrid solutions to customers like Chula Vista Elementary School District,” states Stefaan Sercu, managing director of Energy Solutions Americas at ENGIE. “In addition to this technology serving as a critical resource during potential power outages, the bigger picture impact of the district’s move toward sustainable energy ensures long-term financial savings and resiliency.”
