Stafford County Public Schools officials believe they are approaching a more sustainable future after unveiling Virginia’s largest school rooftop solar array at North Stafford High School Thursday morning.
Acting Superintendent Chris Fulmer said at Tuesday’s school board meeting that it was an “exciting step.”
“This initiative not only supports our goal of reducing our environmental footprint but also provides hands-on learning experience and opportunities for students interested in renewable energy and environmental science,” he said.
Fulmer was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony as were members of the Stafford County School Board and board of supervisors. Other local and state elected officials, and representatives from Madison Energy Infrastructure (MEI) were present as well.
“It’s an honor to partner with Stafford County Public Schools on this monumental project, with implications for school systems across Virginia as they look toward the future of clean energy,” said Rich Allevi, vice president of energy solutions for MEI. “We are grateful for systems like Stafford Schools that are prioritizing clean energy and as a result, savings to their school system and ongoing education for their students. This project at North Stafford High School will pave the way for a greener outlook while serving as an inspirational model for other school districts across the state and nation.”
Acting Superintendent Chris R. Fulmer explores the rooftop array through virtual reality. (Photo by Kathy Knotts)
This 1.8-megawatt project, consisting of 3,300 solar panels covering nearly the entire rooftop of the school, is expected to save the school system an estimated $2.8 million in electric bills over the next 25 years due to the size and efficiency of the on-site generation from the rooftop array. The array will generate 54 million kilowatt hours of clean energy and offset 41,583 tons of CO2.
Students at North Stafford will also be able to access data from the solar array, said Josh Schimpf, the school division’s energy management and regulatory compliance coordinator and a NSHS graduate.
“We have an online dashboard that will be accessible for students to monitor the actual output of the array. They can use that data to calculate greenhouse gas offsets or any type of carbon offsets, any of the energy metrics that you would use in a green job field.”
Students interested in renewable energy, particularly solar, will use the data generated by the array as a learning tool.
Meghan Milo, who leads curriculum and instruction for MEI’s Solar Empowered Schools program, walked a group of NSHS students through educational activities that draw inspiration and information from solar data.
“You guys are using this solar resource to not only power your school but also to power your learning,” she said.
Meghan Milo shows students data generated by the rooftop solar array. (Photo by Kathy Knotts)
After the ribbon cutting, Milo led a group of students in rotating through learning stations in the school library. The stations focused on solar careers, using the “energy dashboard,” exploring the solar array through virtual reality headsets and using miniature solar panels to create spin art.
Beyond saving the school money on its energy bill, the lessons on renewable energy and environmental stewardship have the division most excited.
“Students are going to learn things like, ‘What should the array put out on this day versus what it actually put out because of weather conditions?’” Schimpf said. “It really gives them the insight to see how the array operates over long periods of time to know that not every day is 75 in summer, you know. They’ll see the winter effects on it.”
“This project exemplifies how we can inspire environmental stewardship in our students and the broader community,” said Stafford Supervisor Pamela Yeung, who represents the Garrisonville District. “Together, we are shaping a more sustainable, environmentally conscious future for Stafford County.”
The solar array will be maintained by MEI and is expected to last several decades. The power purchase agreement contract expires in 25 years.
See the view from the roof here.
