Isle of Wight County Schools in Virginia are expected to save on energy costs over the next 20 years through the recently completed 3.3 MW solar project, which is designed to offset nearly 50% of the total electricity needs of seven of its schools. Standard Solar, Inc. owns and operates the systems and provided engineering, design expertise and construction oversight.
The system is installed on the rooftops of six of the county’s schools. The combined arrays are projected to produce an estimated 4,252 MWh of clean energy each year, offsetting carbon emissions of 7.6 million miles driven by an average car. The installation is on both standing seam and flat rooftops using Seraphim Energy modules and SolarEdge inverters.
“This project does more than help the environment; it saves the school system money so they can focus on providing a more outstanding educational experience for their students,” said John Finnerty, Director of Business Development, Standard Solar. “We’re proud to have put our solar project development and funding expertise and our deep knowledge of helping education institutions utilize renewables without utilizing capital budgets to work for Isle of Wight County Schools.”
Not only will the solar installation save the school system money, but it provides visible sustainability and energy management messages to students, parents, staff and visitors.
This project portfolio was made possible due to the Virginia Clean Economy Act. Superintendent Dr. Jim Thornton sees the project as “a shining example of the potential of the Virginia Clean Economy Act at work, making solar accessible and affordable for schools throughout Dominion Energy’s territory.”
According to a report by Generation180, 89 Virginia schools had installed solar as of the close of 2019. That number tripled between 2017 and 2019 and moves Isle of Wight County Schools to the front of the class.
