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Calexico Unified nears completion of energy modernization; district cites grant funding and guaranteed savings
Summary
Climate Tech and district staff told trustees that Phase 2 of a districtwide energy modernization has replaced or upgraded hundreds of HVAC units and installed solar shade structures and EV chargers at multiple sites, and that a mix of grants and financing plus a contract performance guarantee will offset costs.
Calexico Unified trustees heard an update on the district’s Phase 2 energy infrastructure modernization program, including HVAC replacements, solar shade structures, EV charging and funding plans that district staff say will be offset by future energy savings.
Ashley Lowe of Climate Tech summarized Phase 2 work: HVAC modernizations across numerous sites, building automation upgrades, CO2 monitoring (a requirement for Cal SHAPE grants), solar shade structures at 12 sites, EV chargers at nine sites, and roof replacements. Lowe said most work is complete except for some window modernization projects that remain on hold pending DSA and planning issues.
District grant staff reported the program leverages several funding sources: an Imperial County Air Pollution Control District grant (approximately $2.07 million), Cal shape funding for filters and monitoring (about $1.5 million), allocations under the Inflation Reduction Act (including a low-income incentive bonus for persistent-poverty counties), a municipal lease-purchase agreement with Bank of America and district funds. Brenda (grant staff) said the district has received most of some awards and is in final stages of several reimbursements.
Presenters also described how the district will validate savings: a solar monitoring dashboard and IID billing data will be used to calculate avoided utility expenditures. Climate Tech and district staff said about 38% of the district’s installed solar capacity was producing at the time of the sample dashboard, and projected annual value once systems are fully online is in the "range of $700,000 to $800,000 per year," with additional value expected when the high school Measure Q work comes online.
Superintendent Jimenez and staff highlighted one contractual protection that influenced the board’s decision to proceed: the district’s agreement with Climate Tech includes a performance guarantee. As Superintendent Jimenez put it, the firm guaranteed cost savings, and the contract provides for reimbursement if required savings do not materialize.
Next steps: staff anticipates notices of completion for several projects by May, and is planning “flip the switch” ribbon-cutting events; once IID provides annual data (typically in April) staff will report validated savings back to the board.
Direct quote: "If we do not achieve the cost savings to pay for the loan...that cost is guaranteed by Climate Tech, to be reimbursed back to Calexico," Superintendent Jimenez said during discussion.
