Pleasanton Unified School District
The Challenge
The Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) serves approximately 14,500 students throughout 15 schools ranging from elementary to high school. With a commitment to environmental practices, the District wanted to further their efforts in bringing California schools towards sustainability. PUSD contracted with Honeywell Building Solutions to develop and install 680 kilowatts of solar power on seven of the District’s schools.
The Solution
Honeywell Building Solutions partnered with SPG Solar, Inc. for the solar project. Working closely with Honeywell, PUSD, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and the Division of State Architects (DSA), SPG Solar designed a comprehensive system on seven of the PUSD schools. The installed rooftop, grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) system consisted of:
- Foothill High School – 210 kWp Lydiksen
- Elementary School – 120 kWp
- Hart Middle School – 35 kWp
- Pleasanton Middle School – 45 kWp
- Harvest Park Middle School – 35 kWp
- Walnut Grove Elementary School – 10 kWp
- Hearst Elementary School – 225 kWp
The newly installed PV systems throughout PUSD create a great opportunity for a hands-on curriculum educating students and the community about renewable energy. Honeywell developed the project under a power purchase agreement with PUSD. Under the agreement, Honeywell will maintain the panels and sell the electricity they produce to the district for the next 20 years.
The Benefits
- The systems are expected to supply 20% of the District’s electricity, resulting in annual savings of over $125,000 or $2.5 million over the course of the 20-year PPA contract
- PUSD receives clean renewable power at below utility costs from Honeywell
- PUSD benefits by not having an upfront capital outlay for the project
- PUSD enjoys fixed electricity rates for 20 years
The Green Line
The systems total 680 kWp – enough electricity to illuminate almost 1,000 classrooms. The solar energy generated at the Pleasanton Unified School District offsets 688 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) that would have been released into the atmosphere by a fossil-fuel power plant. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it takes 156 acres of trees one year to absorb 688 tons of CO2.
