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Council approves 20-year solar lease for new Central Falls High School and middle school
Summary
Council unanimously approved a lease to install rooftop solar at the new Central Falls High School and Calcutta Middle School, projecting roughly $39,215 in annual energy bill savings plus about $11,000 in sellable credits, and including curriculum and EV-charging benefits.
The Central Falls City Council on Dec. 1 authorized a 20-year lease agreement to install on-site solar at the new Central Falls High School and Calcutta Middle School, a measure the administration and school building committee said will generate recurring savings and educational benefits.
"We evaluated multiple proposals and selected a firm that aligns with our goals for minority- and locally-owned business participation," said the School Building Committee vice chair, who walked the council through the RFP process. The administration said four firms responded and the selected vendor advanced detailed engineering for viable school sites.
Finance Director Mary Signers told the council the panels are projected to reduce the school district energy bill by $39,215 annually under the contract, with an additional roughly $11,000 in credits the district could sell or assign to nonprofit partners. "So it's about $50,000 in annual financial benefit," Mary Signers said.
The contract was presented as cost-neutral to the city: the administration said there is no up-front cost to the city, and the lease includes warranties and roof protections. The vendor also offered two electric-vehicle chargers at each school site at no charge, and an educational component tied to a career-technical-education pathway in environmental engineering.
Councilors asked whether the $39,215 figure was annual and whether there were any city costs; staff confirmed savings are annual and that warranties and maintenance were addressed in contract negotiations. The resolution passed on a recorded vote, 6–0.
The measure directs the administration to finalize contract language, maintain warranty protections for school roofs, and report back on implementation steps and any opportunities to allocate credits to local nonprofits or municipal facilities.
The council did not identify any immediate budgetary obligation tied to the installation, and staff said follow-up items include detailed engineering, schedule coordination with construction at the new high school, and a plan for how any generated credits will be monetized or allocated.
