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Phoenix-Talent board approves solar and battery installations for Talent Middle School, adopts related performance agreements
Summary
The Phoenix-Talent School Board approved a rooftop solar contract for Talent Middle School and adopted performance agreements tied to a Community Renewable Energy Grant. District staff said the project stems from a roughly $1 million grant and is expected to save at least $20,000 a year while adding battery backup for gym and commons areas.
The Phoenix-Talent School Board voted to approve a contract to install roof-mounted solar and battery backup at Talent Middle School and adopted related performance agreements under the Community Renewable Energy Grant Program.
District staff member John described the project as “the fruition of the million dollar grant that we got,” and said the system will be roof-mounted on newly replaced roofs with batteries sized to support both gyms and the cafeteria/commons as evacuation power during an emergency. John told the board the array “should save us at least $20,000 a year” and that additional savings are expected by discharging batteries during peak demand periods.
John said the grant requires monitoring and reporting; Amaresco (the district’s partner on earlier projects) will handle ongoing data collection and reporting as part of the contract. He explained routine maintenance will include panel cleaning and periodic checks of battery HVAC units, with alarms included in the system to flag equipment issues.
A board member moved to approve the Talent Middle School (TMS) solar contract as presented; the motion was seconded and recorded votes were read with Nancy (remote), Rebecca, Sarah and the presiding chair voting yes. The board also adopted Resolution 24-10 approving the Department of Energy performance agreement for the Community Renewable Energy Grant Program and separately approved the Oregon Department of Energy performance agreement for another site (TES); those motions passed with unanimous recorded yes votes.
District staff said construction at the middle school could begin in the February–March window, with battery installations later in the spring or early summer depending on permitting and scheduling. John added the district plans to apply for additional grants in the future to expand solar and battery capacity to cover classrooms and other campuses.
The board’s approvals allow design and procurement to move forward; staff said the district will continue to report project performance data to the grant administrator and bring any major contract modifications back to the board.
