Currently, all of our school sites are slated for solar systems. All of the systems will utilize solar panes to convert sunlight into electricity. The solar panels will be mostly installed on tall shade structures covering play areas and parking lots.

The Pendergast District is taking advantage of what is called a Solar Services Agreement (SSA) to help district schools use solar and lock in years of future energy savings. Instead of owning the solar systems, Pendergast will simply pay for the clean solar power the systems produce every month. The solar rate is set in advance and is lower than the rate the district would pay otherwise. This means the district will start saving money right away.

SSAs are an extremely well vetted method for schools to obtain solar systems used by many Arizona school districts that have implemented solar energy via SSA. An SSA is simply an agreement whereby a system owner pays to construct a solar system and maintain and service it over time, in exchange for a long-term agreement to sell the energy produced by the system. Typically, school districts enter into SSA contracts to reduce energy costs (vs. their electric utilities) and since the inception of school SSAs in Arizona around 2009, best practices have been developed for schools to follow when exploring the feasibility of a solar system contract. Pendergast has been diligent to apply these best practices and has proceeded cautiously and prudently in developing the projects, along with the parties which the district has awarded the project to, so as to maximize the expected cost savings.

Veregy and its team have extensive experience in school solar installations and are well versed in the challenges of managing construction projects at educational facilities. Veregy has developed a comprehensive construction plan and will be able to meet and exceed the rigorous safety requirements, including background checks, fencing, hazard awareness, and daily coordination with school authorities, required to complete the installations with minimal disruption to the schools while in session.

As for the systems themselves, all components used in the district systems are UL listed and installed in a safe code-compliant manner. Because the solar panels will be located on tall shade structures, they will be very difficult to tamper with. Additionally, the major electrical connection to each site's electrical gear will be further protected with fences and/or padlocks.

In addition to providing shaded play areas for students and covered parking, all installed solar systems will feature online data monitoring accessible from any Internet-enabled device. This data monitoring will allow students and teachers to view the performance of the systems instantly as well as scrutinize it for more detailed analysis. The information supplied by the data monitoring will also be integrated into the school curriculum to help students learn about how solar electricity works and the benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency. This applies to subject areas such as science, social studies, math, language arts, and technology.

The solar shade structures need to be installed in areas at each site that make the most economical sense and comply with key design considerations such as distance to the site's electrical gear, solar panel orientation, shading, and easements. Additionally, considerations such as preserving large play areas and avoiding the need to remove trees and landscaping are important factors that play into the system locations.