SolarCity® today announced a 7.4-megawatt (MW) solar power project that will bring renewable energy to 26 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools. The project will bring immediate and long-term cost savings to the District and is expected to save more than $776,000 in its first year and more than $25 million over the next 20 years.
Seventeen schools have already been outfitted, and SolarCity has contracted with the District to install systems in an additional nine schools by the first half of 2013. The solar power systems will provide clean electricity for use by the schools during the day and reduce the need for expensive peak power utility production and lowering transmission costs.
The solar projects will provide students with firsthand demonstrations of how solar technology works, and of solar energy’s benefits. SolarCity has developed a “solar walking tour” featuring educational signs illustrated with infographics and descriptions of the projects. Students will be able to follow the solar electricity from the photovoltaic panels through the various electrical components and finally back to the classroom, where students can view the school’s real-time energy production. Additionally, each school will be equipped with a solar demonstration kit.
