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District updates solar inverter replacements, battery backups and T‑Mobile tower compliance
Summary
District staff reported progress replacing failing solar inverters at school sites, said Santa Rita Elementary’s system is now operable and that Generate Capital is replacing equipment; staff also said T‑Mobile has contracted architects to bring two towers into compliance with Division of State Architect requirements.
District staff gave a facilities update saying the district’s long-running solar and backup battery project is moving forward after inverters failed to perform as originally planned and ownership transferred to Generate Capital.
The update matters because the district expects improved uptime from solar-plus-battery systems, a reduction in annual true-up costs of about $35,000 per year (district estimate) as sites come online, and limited backup power to keep essential services running during outages.
Dr. Alderman (staff presenter) told trustees the project has been underway for nearly 10 years and that Generate Capital, which assumed ownership around 2022, ultimately recommended replacing inverters rather than attempting further fixes. Staff chose Santa Rita Elementary for initial replacement work, completed in November, and are sequencing other sites with overlap so testing and demo work can proceed efficiently. Dr. Alderman said the district expects systems to be fully tested and operable by December.
On finances, the presenter said the district receives a “true-up” payment tied to the earlier underperformance of the systems; that true-up averages about $35,000 per year and should decrease as solar arrays and batteries come fully online. The presenter also said the district’s solar arrays feed excess energy back to PG&E’s grid and that improved production will reduce district utility costs.
Staff explained how the batteries would function during outages: they store energy from the solar arrays and can be switched to draw from the battery during an extended power loss. “We won’t be running the air conditioning and the heating and those things, but we can keep the lights on in the multipurpose room. We can keep our refrigeration on,” Dr. Alderman said, describing the battery’s intended role as support for essential services and, if needed, a community hub during disasters.
Staff also updated the board about two cell towers on district property that are owned by T‑Mobile. The towers—one near Gavilan View (adjacent to the multipurpose room and a former warehouse) and one adjacent to John Gutierrez in the MOTF yard—were identified as noncompliant with Division of the State Architect regulations. T‑Mobile has agreed to complete required DSA remedies at its own cost and to remove the towers if DSA approval is not obtained. The district receives approximately $25,000 per tower from T‑Mobile; that revenue is credited to district telecommunications funds.
Board members asked for metrics comparing pre‑ and post‑solar operation; staff said current true‑up data (July–December) has been received and that the district should be able to quantify offsets within the next month or two.
Staff said it will bring further updates when additional sites finish testing and when physical work begins on the cell‑tower sites.
