Manatee School for the Arts begins groundbreaking solar initiative

Manatee School for the Arts has launched one of the largest solar projects in Florida history.

The initiative will begin implementing solar as the primary power source for its entire campus.

Charles W. Jones, president of Renaissance Arts and Education, the parent company of Manatee School for the Arts, said the change is not only cleaner for the environment but will also save the school thousands of dollars a month in energy costs. The school is also updating its infrastructure, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning and roofing, to conserve energy.

“It makes us proud to be on the forefront of a project like this, and we hope other educational institutions will follow in our footsteps,” Jones said. “We’re benefiting our environment, our community, our school and setting an example for our students on caring for our planet.”

The school said it expects to decrease its utility costs by 90% annually, which will pay for the entire project in seven years. The savings will go toward operational expenses, including expanding its offerings with new art and dance facilities and a public dance auditorium.

Having solar on campus also allows the school to receive substantial tax benefits. Regenerative Shift, an environmental consulting firm, is acting as a tax incentive adviser for the project.

“This project is a beautiful showcase of how to utilize tax incentives to advance renewable energy projects,” said Caleb Quaid, president of Regenerative Shift. “It gives an example to other nonprofits and businesses of how to lower operational costs while benefiting the environment.”  

Tampa Bay Solar is overseeing the design, engineering and installation of the solar units. The project will include 3,000 panels, which produce more than 3.8 million kWh of solar power annually, “enough to offset the energy needs of the school for the next 25 plus years,” according to the school.