Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Solar topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board renews one‑year Optera contract; trustees ask for deeper solar assessment
Summary
The board approved a one‑year renewal with Optera Energy Services to monitor district solar generation and report monthly. Trustees asked staff for a fuller analysis of aging panels, battery use, and potential solar farms on surplus land to maximize district savings and revenue.
Milpitas Unified approved a one‑year renewal of an operations and maintenance agreement with Optera Energy Services LLC to continue monitoring the district’s solar systems and provide monthly generation and usage reports.
Chief Business Officer Dorothy Rekenos said Optera tracks generation, detects potential damage events and delivers monthly reports that show power produced and power used. The district chose a one‑year term to preserve flexibility while it completes a larger analysis of solar assets.
Trustees and staff used the discussion to press for a broader optimization study. Board members noted that many campus solar installations are decades old and asked staff to evaluate whether those arrays are producing efficiently, whether battery storage should be expanded, and whether district surplus land (several sites mentioned) could host larger solar farms to generate revenue or reduce PG&E costs.
Rekenos said the district had asked a vendor for a comprehensive evaluation of panel performance, battery integration, and the potential for improved utilization; she committed to presenting those findings to the superintendent and the board. The board approved the Optera renewal by motion and second; the motion carried.
What happens next: staff will receive and review the solar system assessment and present findings to the superintendent and board; trustees indicated interest in evaluating options for solar farming, battery sizing and contract language that would include optimization recommendations.
