You can add the Pershing County School District in Nevada to the long list of districts across the country that have installed solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems atop their schools to save money on utility bills and promote environmental consciousness.
Nevada’s Pershing County School District has been able to install four solar energy systems through its schools thanks in part to an NV Energy Rebate Program.
As the latest district to join the group, Pershing County has installed systems atop three schools in Lovelock, Nevada. The school district was able to finance the installations after receiving a $1.49 million rebate from the NV Energy’s Solar Generation Program for investing in these solar energy systems. NV Energy is one of Nevada’s largest utility companies. Its Solar Generations Program is designed to offer incentives to those who install solar energy systems atop Nevada homes, small businesses, public buildings and schools. Since being implemented in 2004, the program has helped install six megawatts (MW) worth of solar energy spread out over 750 different solar PV projects, and dished out about $23 million in rebates.
The school district began its venture into solar in 2009 when it installed 70 kilowatts (kW) worth of solar capacity at the Lovelock Elementary School. These three most recent systems were installed atop a walkway at Pershing County Middle School and atop shaded parking lots at Pershing County High School and, again, Lovelock Elementary school.
Combined, the three systems should produce roughly 600,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar energy each year and save the district $72,000 annually while reducing the district’s carbon footprint by 420 tons every year. Both benefits of the solar projects, along with the ability to teach students about clean energy, are not lost on Pershing County School District Superintendent Dan Fox:
We viewed this as a potential money saver for the district, as well as saving part of Mother Nature’s environment…These projects will benefit the district financially and allow a more ‘hands-on’ opportunity for students and community members to witness alternative energy solutions and savings.”
Check out other school districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware and New Jersey and Pennsylvania that have installed solar energy systems for a trio of benefits: a reduced carbon footprint, financial savings and a teaching tool.
