In a major milestone for Clinton City Schools, the district recently completed the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, the first solar PV system funded by a performance contract in the state of North Carolina. CMTA, a Legence company, provided the engineering services for a comprehensive guaranteed energy-saving performance contract, the firm’s first in North Carolina.
John Lowe, Executive Director of Technology and Auxiliary Services for Clinton City Schools, energized the new system on January 20th at approximately 1:15pm to officially "turn it on." The PV install includes 107.83 kW of solar photovoltaic array on Sunset Avenue Elementary School's 800 Wing. During periods of low electricity consumption at the school, such as weekends, the new system will export power to Duke Energy, generating credits for the school’s electricity bills. During peak output of the system, it will provide 35% of the power drawn by all lighting systems in the entire district.
“It is exciting to see this component along with other components of the Energy Performance Savings Contract come together and come online,” Lowe said. “It’s been a long endeavor that required agreements from the county commissioners and approval from the LGC (Local Government Commission). So, it’s good to finally see a lot of these components coming to fruition.”
CMTA is working with Clinton City Schools on a performance contract that comprises seven facilities and a total of 566,076 square feet.
The district has taken a major step toward pursuing greater energy efficiency and becoming more environmentally friendly. Not only does this approach save the district money on electricity costs over time, but it also makes their buildings more attractive and desirable, thanks to greater property values associated with renewable-energy installations.