Sep. 20—- It can take a lot of energy to power a school. With hundreds of students and staff using computers, tablets, lights and more, energy requirements for a school building can be costly. The cost of that power at several
locations should soon be decreasing.
Over the summer, the district installed solar panels on the roofs of four district buildings, the high school, middle school, Roosevelt Elementary and Lakeland Elementary. The locations were chosen based on available roof space and required costs.
These solar panels were installed through the Minnesota Commerce Department’s Solar for Schools program. The program provides funding for districts to implement a solar project to reduce the energy costs for the district.
“It has been a long process. It’s one of those things where as you’re going through the process, you know exactly what you’re talking about, you know exactly where you’re headed and then it’s six months later and you go back and have to reread everything,” Willmar Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Adams said of the complexity of the process.
Program requirements include that the district have up-to-date buildings capable of supporting solar panels and that the district implement an educational unit on alternative energy sources somewhere in its curriculum.
Willmar Public Schools installed solar panels through Ideal Energies, a solar company that has worked with several districts across the state. According to Senior Vice President Rich Ragatz of Ideal Energies, the company has worked with more than 200 school districts in addition to its work with cities, counties and nonprofits.
“From start to finish on this, it is basically Ideal Energies doing everything, from master electricians to installers,” Ragatz said.
Payment for the solar panels is made through energy savings. Ideal Energies installed and will maintain the solar panels, and in exchange, the company receives payment equal to the savings the district realizes in its energy bill over a 20-year period. After this period, the district will keep the savings.
Based on estimations by Ideal Energies, Willmar Municipal Utilities and Willmar Public Schools, the district expects to cumulatively save $406,347 throughout the first 20 years, which would then be the amount paid for the installation. Over the 40-year lifespan of the system, the district expects to save $1,393,650.
The expected energy costs on which the savings were based were determined in advance in conjunction with Willmar Municipal Utilities.
The power created by the solar panels will not fully remove the district buildings from the local grid, but will reduce the amount the district draws from it.
The panels were installed just before the start of the school year. However, they were not immediately activated as doing so would require turning off power in the buildings for hours, which could not be done as people were working, according to the district’s Buildings and Grounds Director Aaron Pilarski. The panels are expected to be operational within weeks.
The solar panels are kept in place with weights. This method of attachment prevents the need to drill holes in the roofs, which could lead to leaks.
“They are really good quality, tier one panels, which is the best quality we can get out there,” Ragatz said.
The installed panels are self-cleaning, reducing required maintenance during snow or rain. This is achieved through a layer of film on the glass — snow and water slide off.
In addition, the panels are made to be durable. Constructed from 3.2-millimeter tempered glass, the panels can withstand hail and debris.
After 20 years, district can decide to re-enter an agreement with Ideal Energies or take on the maintenance locally.
The warranty for the solar panels will last 30 years, and it is up to the district whether to replace or decommission them after that point, with the panels expected to last 40 years.