December 3, 2015 / Modified dec 3, 2015 7:19 a.m.

Amphi Schools Going Solar, Could Save Up to $23M

Agreement will allow system to buy 60 percent of its power generated on campuses.

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An agreement between Amphitheater Unified School District and energy company Constellation will give Amphi access to solar power generated at its schools for the next 25 years.

Constellation will own, install and maintain solar installations at 24 of the district's schools, with a total generation capacity of 9.4 megawatts. Amphi will buy the power from Constellation.

That amount of electricity will cover 60 percent of the district's power needs.

Getting that much power from the sun has more than just environmental benefits, a district official said.

"The savings from our electric bill, the long-term nature of this and the fact that the district has no obligation for maintenance, repair, anything, for that 25 years. We simply buy the power," said Amphi's James Burns. "It made economic sense to do this now.”

Estimates from Constellation show Amphi will save between $11million and $23 million over the deal's lifetime.

Leasing the panels makes better financial sense for the district than buying a system outright, because schools do not pay federal taxes. That means they would not be able to take advantage of the 30 percent federal tax credit offered for purchasing solar panels.

The installations will also have real-time monitoring capabilities, which the district said it plans to incorporate into classroom lessons.

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