The Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District has chosen Nexamp as its community solar provider under a long-term contract. The district spans nine towns in three counties across western New York, comprising four schools that educate more than 2,100 students. With an annual budget of more than $57 million and a commitment to sustainability, the district was looking to incorporate more renewable energy in a way that would allow it to reduce energy expenses.
The district determined that the Nexamp community solar program was the right fit. Under the program, the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District is an anchor tenant supporting 2.4 MW of renewable energy production from one of Nexamp’s community solar projects in Watertown, New York. That number represents approximately 40 percent of the project’s total capacity; the district will receive energy credits to reduce its annual electric costs while contributing to the expansion of renewable energy.
“Maximizing our resources to provide the best education possible for our students is a top priority, so finding ways to rein in expenses is always something we are looking for,” noted Gene Mancuso, Superintendent, Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District. “The opportunity to yield savings while also addressing sustainability is a bonus and a move that we are very excited about. By subscribing to community solar, we support the addition of renewable energy on the grid, ultimately benefiting our students and their families with a cleaner, brighter future.”
The district will save approximately $40,000 each year from its annual allocation of nearly 2.4 million kilowatt hours of energy, delivering a total savings of more than $650,000 over the life of the contract. Nexamp also has another community solar farm located next to the middle school that brings additional revenue into the district through a PILOT agreement.
“Community solar for school districts and municipalities offers an easy way for the public sector to address sustainability goals and realize savings while doing right by the community,” said Joe Fiori, Director of Business Development, Nexamp. “This agreement, combined with the Mendon Renewables array located just across from the middle school, demonstrates our commitment to being a long-term partner to the Town of Mendon and the Honeoye Falls-Lima School District.”
Nexamp is working on a collaborative education program with the district that will provide opportunities for students to tour a solar farm and learn more about the role of renewable energy in a more resilient grid. With the participation of public sector clients, community solar is growing rapidly in scale, helping to make significant economic and environmental benefits available to local area residents.
— Solar Builder magazine
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