The Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District board approved change orders and a cash‑flow analysis for two Saratoga High School solar carport projects, voting 5‑0 to allow the work to proceed while staff return with details on electric‑vehicle charger placement and use. President Chen convened the decision during the Aug. 7 meeting after a presentation from district staff and Centrica Business Solutions.

Why it matters: The projects must be energized by next spring to qualify for the more favorable net‑metering 2 (NEM2) treatment from the California Public Utilities Commission; otherwise the district would be subject to NEM3 rates that return far less value for exported energy. Cost increases tied to redesign and code requirements have pushed the projects’ power purchase agreement rates higher, affecting payback expectations and annual cash flows.

District staff said the projects were originally approved in September 2024 and have moved forward at Saratoga faster than the Los Gatos site. Patrick, a district project lead, told the board that the “only significant change … was that there was an additional array in the back parking lot that proved to be, not possible because of a major utility trunk there,” and that other design changes followed. Brooklyn Stewart of Centrica explained the primary drivers: a redesign to avoid a fire lane that raised the required canopy height, new ADA path‑of‑travel requirements under Department of State Architect (DSA) review, mandatory inclusion of a state‑required minimum number of EV chargers for new carport arrays, and a different panel type required by updated wind/uplift engineering.

Centrica and the district said those design changes increased material and installation costs: for the larger meter (meter 1) the approved PPA rate rose from just under $0.22/kWh to about $0.27/kWh; for the second meter the PPA moved to roughly $0.32/kWh. Centrica reported that, combined, the revised project now shows an overall payback in the seven‑to‑eight‑year range and is projected to net the district about $3.9 million over the 25‑year PPA term, before possible EV‑charger revenues.

Board members asked for more detail on charger siting and use. Centrica and the district said eight Level‑2 chargers are included in the price for both meter projects combined; district staff and Centrica noted the district can decide how the chargers will be allocated (student, staff, or public) and whether to require payment for public use. Brett Watts, Centrica’s California project director, said a dedicated EV panel will be installed with capacity that can be expanded later and noted that Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) rules will require some chargers under the carports. The board asked staff to return with a plan describing where chargers would be placed, whether they will be free to use or metered, and what it would take to add more chargers later.

The board discussed construction impacts on campus parking and circulation. Patrick and Centrica said much of the work will occur during the school year and will require staged closures of parking areas for trenching, piling and panel installation; they pledged detailed coordination with campus operations and advance, widely distributed notifications to minimize disruption.

Action taken: Trustee Misty moved to “approve the change orders and the cash‑flow analysis as presented”; the motion was seconded and passed 5‑0. The board authorized staff to work with Centrica to finalize design constraints related to chargers and to return with options for charger allocation, billing and future expansion.

Background and next steps: The Saratoga project comprises two separate PPAs because Saratoga High School has two PG&E meters; the district is grandfathered into NEM2 only if the system is energized by a specified April deadline. Los Gatos High School’s separate solar project remains delayed and will be brought to a future meeting when ready. Board members asked staff to provide the original PPA payback analysis and the updated cash‑flow comparison in writing following the meeting.

Ending note: Centrica and district staff said they will deliver a charger‑use and siting plan and a written comparison of original versus revised PPA economics to the board before construction proceeds further.