- School district to switch to solar power.
- The school will pay monthly for the electricity rather than own the solar equipment.
The West Burlington School District in Iowa wants to install solar panels to reduce energy costs in its elementary and high school buildings. The District will contract the renewable energy firm, the Red Lion, for this project. Construction of the project is expected to commence in October following the board approval in its Juli 19 meeting.
Under the agreement, Red Lion will build and own the solar equipment and operate the equipment, while the district will pay a monthly fee for the electricity supplied from solar panels. The District currently pays about US$ 3,500 to 7,000 per month in the winter to US$11,000 per month in the summer as utility bills to Alliant Energy. Teh District expected the solar panels to save as much as The solar panels are expected to save the district a significant amount.
Terry Dvorak, CEO of Red Lion Renewables, stated: “We sell electricity to the school. Therefore, the school only buys electricity and allows us to put our equipment on their roof and floor space. It is a 20-year electricity contract, and the school did not have to pay any money. “Our goal is to help as many schools as possible in the state of Iowa achieve clean energy. It helps them with their budget. It helps them immediately and adds predictability, ”Dvorak added.