The Athenian School’s photovoltaic installation supplies electricity needs, financed through a unique power purchase agreement.

Solar panels are arranged into an A-shaped icon for The Athenian School. Photo by Mike Jolly.

Background

Environmental stewardship is one of the founding pillars of The Athenian School that opened in 1965. The college preparatory school has 450 students, spanning grades 6 through 12, located on a scenic 75-acre campus in Danville, Calif., 32 miles east of San Francisco. When Bob Oxenburgh joined The Athenian School staff in 2004 as director of finance and operations, he recognized an opportunity to fulfill that goal through solar electric power. “It was the duty of the school to do what we could to become green,” says Oxenburgh.

Challenge

After extensive discussions with the board of trustees and thorough research into the solar power market, Oxenburgh invited five firms to bid on a photovoltaic system that would supply half of the school’s electrical needs. The challenge was to find a way to deploy the large system without a sizable up-front capital outlay, as the school had other capital priorities for its cash resources.

More than 100 reinforced concrete piers extending 15 feet into the earth were used to install a solar system onto a hillside at The Athenian School. Photo by Mike Jolly.

Solution

REC Solar, headquartered in San Luis Obispo, Calif., specializes in grid-tied residential and commercial solar power installations, and clearly stood out. It is among the nation’s largest solar integrators with more than a dozen offices in six states. REC teamed with Tioga Energy, a power purchase agreement (PPA) provider, on the bid. “REC and Tioga came in with the most complete package,” says Oxenburgh.

REC Solar proposed to engineer and install the system, while Tioga Energy proposed to finance the project through a SurePath Solar PPA. The agreement would require no upfront capital outlay by the school. Under the long-term contract, Tioga would own and operate the system and sell the renewable electricity generated to The Athenian School at fixed rates during a 20-year period. Such a situation was exactly what the school was looking for.

With a contract complete, the project moved forward until Mother Nature intervened. The plan called for 1,300 ground-mounted solar panels covering 30,000 square feet and generating 220 kilowatts of electricity. The panels would be positioned on a hillside above the school and arranged in the shape of an “A” for Athenian. But a geotechnical survey suggested that traditional PV foundations would be unsuitable for the existing soil conditions.

The initial recommendation was to replace the soil on the hillside. “It raised some serious financial issues,” says Oxenburgh. The added cost of this solution nearly scuttled the project. “Tioga and REC Solar struggled hard to make this work, and came up with a relatively lost-cost alternative.” The solution was to use more than 100 reinforced concrete piers extending 15 feet into the earth.

Benefits

Given past experience, electricity rates are sure to rise in the future. The more the public utility increases its rates, the more The Athenian School will potentially save since the fixed-rate PPA provides a hedge against rising electric costs. Tioga enables the school to lock in long-term electricity rates.

Eliminating upfront capital investment and ongoing maintenance responsibilities was a huge advantage for the school and made one of the largest photovoltaic installations at a private school in California possible.

The school is proud of its heritage and committed to the five pillars, which include environmental stewardship. During the next 20 years, the solar power system is expected to avoid generating more than 66 million pounds of carbon dioxide. “It will be like taking 55 passenger cars off the road each year,” Oxenburgh says.

In addition to reducing pollutants, high-efficiency Mitsubishi Electric solar modules use lead-free solder, eliminating a harmful ingredient commonly used in solder in many traditional modules.

This green effort sends a positive message to families of current and prospective students, not to mention the surrounding communities. “As an institution that actively demonstrates a concern for global warming, I think it helps us in our recruiting efforts,” says Oxenburgh.

Sidebar: The Athenian School Solar ‘A’

Location: Danville, Calif.

Challenge: Deploying a large solar array without a sizable up-front capital investment.

Solution: 1,300 ground-mounted solar panels, covering 30,000 square feet and generating 220 kilowatts of electricity, with a SurePath Solar PPA from Tioga Energy.

Benefits: No upfront capital investment or ongoing maintenance responsibilities. Hedge against rising utility electricity costs. Helps fulfill the school’s environmental stewardship goals. Sends a positive message to families of current and perspective students. Offers hands-on learning opportunity to foster a future renewable energy workforce.

For more information, visit www.athenian.org and www.tiogaenergy.com.

Paul Detering

Paul Detering is CEO of Tioga Energy. Tioga Energy enables commercial, government and non-profit organizations to reduce their energy costs while lowering carbon emissions. Through the SurePath solar power purchase agreement (PPA), Tioga Energy owns and operates renewable energy systems that provide organizations a hedge against energy price volatility and accelerate their access to clean energy without any capital outlay. For more information, visit www.tiogaenergy.com.

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