Escondido Charter High School Goes Solar with Baker Electric

Escondido Charter High School will save more than $108,926 the first year with 25-year solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) from Baker Electric Solar.

 

SAN DIEGO, Calif., January 4, 2017 — Baker Electric Solar, a full-service solar company, recently designed and installed another successful commercial solar system, this time at Escondido Charter High School (ECHS). The 321.75 kW system will provide the high school with a 63% reduction in their annual electricity bills based on past consumption and will save an estimated $108,926 on its electricity bills the first year. Baker used a solar carport configuration complementing the high school’s architecture, parking lots and landscaping. The high school campus is located at 1868 East Valley Parkway in Escondido, California.

Founded in 1996 with 30 students, Escondido Charter High School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory day school for grades 9 -12 with current enrollment at 400. ECHS founder and President, Dennis “Coach” Snyder, had the foresight eight years ago, to install solar on the ECHS gymnasium roof to save on energy costs. With continued growth, the initial small PV system could not keep up with energy demands.

“Baker approached us with an opportunity that would cost tax payers nothing and would significantly reduce our facility’s electricity costs,” said Coach Snyder. “With electricity one of our largest expenditures, the Baker proposal made dollars and sense. Our Board was excited about putting energy cost savings back into the classroom, which is what we are in business to do. Baker was our choice for a solar provider due to its longevity in the community and reputation for quality work.”

Baker offered ECHS creative financing using a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), where ECHS paid nothing for the construction of the system and receives immediate savings from the solar energy produced by the system. PPAs allow non-profit organizations to take advantage of lucrative tax incentives on solar, even for more expensive solar carport systems like at ECHS.

Per the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, the new ECHS solar system will save the equivalent of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 839,192 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle. It will offset CO2 emissions from 39,400 gallons of gasoline consumed or 373,645 pounds of coal burned.

“The Escondido Charter High School solar project is in direct alignment with its values of ‘Education is Our Business’ and championing environmental stewardship,” said Baker’s Director of Commercial Solar, Scott Williams. “The solar system is projected to provide more than $1,689,588 in net savings to the high school over the 25-year warrantied life of the solar modules. It’s great to know these funds will go toward furthering academic success for thousands of students for years to come.”

For more information, visit https://www.bakerelectricsolar.com.