Consultant pitches $2.1M community-solar plan to cut district energy costs and fund local programs
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Summary
Energy consultant David Funk of 0 Emissions Northwest presented a proposal to install about 1 megawatt of rooftop solar across Pullman School District buildings using WSU-administered incentives; the model would require no up-front cost to the district and would generate funds earmarked for low-income households and district priorities.
A Spokane-based energy consultant told the Pullman School Board on April 30 that a community-solar proposal could install roughly 1 megawatt of solar across district roofs and potentially provide large, multi-year energy savings and community benefits without up-front cost to the district.
What was proposed: David Funk, president of 0 Emissions Northwest, described a program built around a $100 million incentive fund administered by WSU Energy that targets solar projects benefiting low-income Washingtonians. Funk and district sustainability committee members said they walked district roofs and identified about five large sites (three elementary schools, the middle and high school, plus the bus depot) where 100 kW AC projects at each site could be feasible.
Financial model and benefits: Funk said his firm would own and finance the systems and sell power to the district at a reduced rate, estimating roughly a 75% reduction compared with current Avista rates in the hypothetical presented. He estimated $2.1 million in installed solar and roughly $900,000 in program-directed benefits over the first ten years; net energy savings over a longer period could be roughly $3.1 million, according to the presentation. Funk said the WSU incentive dollars would be used in part to provide funding for low-income residents and community programs as part of the grant requirements.
Costs, warranties and timeline: Funk emphasized a "no-cost-to-the-district" approach: his nonprofit partner would administer much of the program work and his company would finance equipment and installation. He said the team would use U.S.-made Tier 1 equipment and extended warranties, and expected a nine-month process from approval to deployment, with the early phases taking 45-60 days to win incentives and 6-9 months for installation.
Board and community questions: Board members and attendees asked whether Pullman would be among the larger districts in the program (Funk said Pullman would be among the largest projects they'd undertaken but not excluded), and whether roofs and utility infrastructure could accept the planned solar capacity; Funk said he would consult with Avista to confirm grid interconnection capacity and would downsize if necessary. Board members asked about roof warranties and maintenance; Funk said well-planned projects and strong vendor warranties are standard practice and that the board would have approval rights before any construction.
Next steps: Funk asked the board to authorize district staff to continue discussions and site engineering, to consult with Avista and to return with a more detailed application for WSU incentives. No board vote was taken on April 30; the presentation was informational and staff will return with more details if the board directs staff to proceed.
