Otsego Local School District’s solar power system, serving their High School and Elementary School buildings, is installed with First Solar modules. First Solar’s newest manufacturing plant is located in Northwestern Ohio and employs over 500 people locally.
C2 Energy Capital LLC, a rapidly growing developer and investor in renewable energy and storage assets, announced the completion of a 1-MW solar power project for the Otsego Local School District located near Bowling Green, Ohio. The company financed, owns and operates the project. The first clean energy project of its kind with the local Tontogany utility, C2 Energy Capital supported regional developer Solar Power & Light who worked closely with the school board, the local utility, and community to deliver a high-quality solar project with no capital expense for the school district.
“The average price of a school solar installation has dropped 67% in the last ten years, making solar energy a smart decision for schools’ budgets. The most important factor for a successful solar installation in a school is an experienced team. Together, our partners have installed solar on dozens of schools in the Midwest and we are proud of the level of expertise, quality, and service we can offer,” says Richard Dovere, Co-founder and Managing Member of C2 Energy Capital.
The project is powered by advanced thin film modules from First Solar, Inc. which were designed and developed at the company’s research and development centers in California and Ohio. First Solar, America’s largest solar manufacturer, has its roots in Ohio, and operates the Western Hemisphere’s largest solar manufacturing footprint across two factories in Perrysburg and Lake Township.
The Otsego Local School District, one of the most progressive districts in Ohio, has stepped into a leadership role for environmental stewardship and renewable energy. They have initiated a STEM-based educational component on clean energy and are using savings from the solar energy to support their teachers and curriculum.
The Otsego Local School District includes 3 schools and educates 1,500 students in grades Kindergarten through 12th. The district’s Superintendent shepherded the solar project by collaborating with Solar Power & Light and landing the district with an estimated cost savings of more than $900,000 over the life of the system. In addition to using lower-cost clean energy, the school district will also benefit from a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) educational component that Solar Power & Light developed, allowing students to learn about sustainability and renewable energy technology.
Cost savings partnership
The partnership between C2 Energy Capital, First Solar, and Solar Power & Light took a value-driven approach that resulted in cost-savings and reduced project risk for the school through strategic technology procurement, employing local and Ohio resources, and arranging ongoing project performance analysis.
“Both C2 Energy Capital and First Solar were key players in the success of this solar project,” said Neil Chaudhry, CEO, Solar Power & Light. “First Solar impressed us with their responsive service and technical support. While the Otsego project was in First Solar’s backyard, we would love to deploy their high-performance module technology to other schools in Ohio and beyond. And more importantly (for the schools who are under budget pressures) we can do this at little or no upfront costs to the schools through our partnership with C2 Energy.”
— Solar Builder magazine
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