Charlottesville schools approve major solar project

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) — Charlottesville City Schools and the city are moving forward with a major solar project.

Under a new agreement, a 1.318 MWdc solar energy system will be installed at Charlottesville High School. Once operational, the system is expected to generate approximately 1,738,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy each year. This production will offset an estimated 59% of the high school’s total annual electricity use.

The project has been a decade in the making.

Kristel Riddervold, director of the Office of Sustainability, said the city has robust climate goals.

“One of the ways in which we can achieve and pursue those goals is by installing renewable energy systems on our buildings,” Riddervold said. “The challenge is you need really large roofs and the right kind of roof, meaning new and robust buildings, to do it right.”

The project operates under a power purchase agreement, an arrangement in which a third-party developer installs, owns and operates an energy system on a customer’s property. The customer purchases the system’s electric output for a predetermined period.

Riddervold said the schools have two buildings with the biggest roofs.

“We had a unique opportunity. The schools have two buildings with the biggest roofs. One is the high school and one is the middle school. And we’ve been working for quite a while now to establish an agreement, a power purchase agreement, as the mechanism to get solar on those schools,” Riddervold said.

The high school recently had its roof replacement completed. The middle school will also receive a solar system when its addition and renovation is fully completed.

Over the 25-year term of the agreement, the project is forecast to achieve approximately $2.3 million in avoided electricity costs.

The project will avoid more than 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

“If you think about it, that’s equivalent to something like 8,400 cars being taken off the road in terms of emissions,” Riddervold said. “We have about 40,000 tons a year of CO2, metric tons of CO2 that can be eliminated by producing this clean, fossil fuel-free, sun-powered energy on the building itself.”

Lisa Larson-Torres, school board chair, said the project represents a major climate action milestone.

“We are grateful to all partners who helped bring this major climate action milestone to fruition and excited to be part of Charlottesville’s continued and critical progress toward a more sustainable future,” Larson-Torres said.

Riddervold said the project reflects intentional sustainability work.

“This project reflects intentional and substantial climate and sustainability work. It demonstrates our community’s understanding and willingness to tackle solutions that will deliver multiple benefits,” Riddervold said.

The city partnered with Madison Energy Infrastructure, a Virginia-headquartered company with an office in Charlottesville. Several Madison team members are city residents.

Meghan Milo, director at Madison Energy Infrastructure, said the project demonstrates public sector leadership.

“Charlottesville City Schools and the City of Charlottesville have set a powerful example of public sector leadership — driving $2.3 million in avoided costs over 25 years and making a significant leap toward their sustainability goals,” Milo said. “We’re proud to be trusted as their partner, and to bring hands-on STEM education into the classrooms where some of our own children learn. This project hits close to home, in the best way.”

Riddervold encouraged others to consider solar energy.

“Small homes, small businesses, anyone who has a structure and is using electricity and can look into this as a really viable, cost-effective option, I would encourage them to do so,” Riddervold said.

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