SolarCity is installing a 6 MW solar energy and storage project for the Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) in California.

The project includes 18 solar carports and two ground-mount solar arrays, along with DemandLogic energy storage systems at five sites. Together, the DemandLogic systems will have 2.6 MWh of energy storage capacity.

To finance the systems, the TVUSD chose a SolarCity power purchase agreement (PPA), which allows the district to pay only for the power the systems produce at a fixed rate that is less than what is currently offered by the local utility. The district retained Sage Renewable Energy Consulting Inc., an independent energy consulting firm, to help assess the feasibility of the projects and determine the most cost-effective designs for each site to optimize energy savings.

The district expects to save more than $520,000 within the first year of operation and $35 million over the 25 years of the PPA.

‘Like many school districts across the county, Temecula Valley has faced increasing budget cuts and rising operational expenses,’ says Janet Dixon, director of facilities development at the TVUSD. ‘With SolarCity, we found a creative way to cut our electricity bills. This money will free up funds for the district to invest in student programs and curriculum.’