The school corporation reported progress on a multi-site guaranteed energy savings project that includes rooftop and ground-mounted solar, geothermal wells and HVAC control upgrades.

Dr. Taylor (administrative staff) told the board the district’s partner CMTA has completed several installations and retrofits and that some projects remain paused for seasonal/weather or completion of other work, such as roof replacement at Sugar Grove.

Taylor said completed items include rooftop solar at Center Grove Elementary School and the emergency operations center, ground-mounted solar at Maple Grove and work that recommissioned and repaired the Walnut Grove ground-mount system. “They came in, cleaned out the weeds, repaired some broken parts, ran some warranty services for us, put down gravel...and it's producing at higher levels,” Taylor said.

Work at middle school central and additional high school systems will resume when weather permits; geothermal drilling at Maple Grove was underway, with equipment installations planned during a summer shutdown. The project also involved new control settings at Bridal School North and broader controls recommissioning to improve efficiency and humidity control.

Taylor presented utility savings data showing smaller month-over-month savings after projects came online in 2024 — including $4,000 in August and $17,000 in September — and projected an average monthly savings of about $61,000 for 2025 if current trends continue. He said the project’s long-run estimates approach roughly $750,000 in annual utility savings over the 20-year guaranteed savings projection when combined with expected IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) incentives and reimbursements once work is complete.

Taylor said the district has begun submitting requests for federal IRA reimbursements and expects receipts in 2025 and 2026 as projects are completed. The superintendent’s office has begun allocating some of the realized savings back into operations to help with salaries and benefits and to support the operations fund, Taylor said.

Board members asked questions about timing, and Taylor noted some savings are seasonal because solar production varies with daylight. No formal vote was required on the update; the presentation was informational and followed earlier budget hearings where the topic was raised.