Keeping classrooms lighted and comfortable comes with a cost. At Plainview High School in Rainsville, a newly completed solar installation project is expected to reduce electricity costs by approximately 46%, according to DeKalb County Schools.
School leaders and community members gathered Oct. 7 at the DeKalb County Schools Coliseum to celebrate the completion of what the district describes as Alabama’s first public school solar project designed to significantly offset school energy costs.
Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville), Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) and DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Wayne Lyles spoke during the celebration. Faculty and staff, Board of Education members, local officials, community partners and representatives from Schneider Electric also joined the event.
In a time when operating expenses seem to continually increase, lower electricity bills could leave more money available for other school needs. K-12 school districts nationwide spend more than $8 billion annually on energy, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program.
The solar installation builds on work DeKalb County Schools began with Schneider Electric in 2018 to address aging facilities, reduce expenses and improve campus safety.
According to Schneider Electric, that work has included energy-efficient LED lighting throughout the district and heating and cooling equipment upgrades at 17 campuses. The district also replaced windows and mechanical equipment and added controls to manage energy use.
Savings from the earlier energy efficiency projects helped pay for security improvements, including staff keycard entry, vehicle gates, video monitoring, security fencing and entrance vestibules. The district’s modernization work was funded through a guaranteed energy savings performance contract, according to the company.
Across the district, the broader improvements are expected to reduce operating costs by 20% and generate $32.8 million in long-term savings, according to DeKalb County Schools. That money can go back into the schools in the years ahead.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
