REC Solar brings 3.5 MW of solar energy to 12 Arizona public schools

USA: REC Solar, a leader in solar system design and installation, announced the completion of solar installations totaling 3.5MW on twelve Arizona public schools. The systems, which were developed and installed by REC Solar, will provide enough power to reduce the schools’ electricity bills by up to 20 percent while also offering educational opportunities for K-12 students.

REC Solar worked with the twelve Arizona public schools to install solar energy with no upfront costs. The arrays will allow the schools to lock in lower electricity rates for the lifetime of the systems, expected at more than 20 years.

Each of the 12 schools will have educational kiosks that display data such as sun tracking, kilowatt-hours saved and information about how much money the school is saving on its electric bill. Teachers can access the data and create lessons plans around how electricity is produced and used.

REC Solar was chosen to develop systems at the following schools:
* Greenway Elementary School in Bisbee (117kW)
* Lowell Primary School in Bisbee (158kW)
* Bisbee High School in Bisbee (412kW)
* Tombstone High School in Tombstone (301kW)
* Meyer Elementary School in Tempe (133kW)
* Copper Rim Elementary School in Globe (275kW)
* High Desert Middle School in Globe (350kW)
* Evergreen Elementary School in Casa Grande (309kW)
* Mesquite Elementary School in Tucson (349kW)
* Glassford Hills Middle School in Prescott Valley (349kW)
* Coyote Springs Elementary School in Prescott Valley (349kW)
* Granville Elementary School in Prescott Valley (349kW).

“Solar is a cost-effective upgrade for schools nationwide,” said Cary Hayes, director of business development for REC Solar. “Solar electricity saves schools money on their electric bills, reduces budget pressures, and allows funds to be invested where schools need it most – classrooms and kids. We look forward to utilizing our industry expertise to bring solar to more educational facilities, from elementary schools to universities, in Arizona and beyond.”

Educational facilities are a rapidly growing market for REC Solar. These recent systems follow a successful project at Cromer Elementary School in Flagstaff, Ariz., where a 450-kilowatt system was completed by REC Solar in May of 2012. Cromer Elementary School held a teacher-training workshop in partnership with REC Solar that provided training to the school’s staff on incorporating solar into their curriculum.