Future of solar power looking bright for Chico schools

When it comes to solar power, things are looking sunny for the Chico Unified School District.Wednesday night, after hearing a report on the success of five solar power facilities, four at schools and one at the district's corporation yard, the CUSD trustees voted unanimously to investigate putting solar arrays at other school sites.Russell Driver, a consultant with the San Francisco-based Newcomb Anderson and McCormick energy, engineering and consulting, said all of the solar systems currently in place in the district are generating more power than predicted.The arrays have been erected over parking lots at Chico High School, Pleasant Valley High School and Chapman School, and ground-mounted facilities have been constructed at Marsh Junior High School and the district's Corporation Yard.
Driver reported that cumulatively over the last year, the five sites have produced 1.6 megawatts of power.The systems were built by SolarCity, a San Mateo-based corporation, under a "power purchase agreement," where the CUSD paid nothing for construction but contracted to purchase 100 percent of the electricity they produce for 20 years.Mike Weissenborn, district director of facilities planning/construction, said the district guarantees to purchase the electricity at a lower cost than it would have had to pay PG&E.Driver said, "Given the production is looking good, the saving numbers are likely to be looking pretty good as well," but the actual saving has not been figured out yet.He said his company, which produced the report on the solar project, is working with PG&E to get all of the figures sorted out.
Weissenborn told the trustees he came before them to deliver the report and to ask them to approve another contract with Driver's firm to conduct a feasibility study on putting solar arrays on other sites in the district.He said there are new regulations, new technology and new financing opportunities that could make new solar arrays attractive."More solar!" exulted trustee Kathy Kaiser.On a motion by trustee Jann Reed, the panel voted to approve a contract with Newcomb Anderson McCormick to do the new study for a fee not to exceed $29,840.
All creditors, including the government, could see a full recovery from a $1.5 billion lawsuit the company filed against Chinese solar-panel makers last week, said Solyndra attorney Debra Grassgreen. Solyndra claimed the Chinese manufacturers conspired to fix prices and flood the U.S. market with solar panels at below-cost prices forcing it out of business. Chinese solar-panel makers have said the allegations are "baseless."