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Connecticut Green Bank presents Fitch High School carport solar proposal; board to consider PPA on May 26
Summary
The Connecticut Green Bank recommended a roughly 1.3 MW DC carport solar installation at Fitch High School that would produce an estimated 1.72 million kWh in year one, yield about $93,212 in first‑year on‑bill credits under the proposed PPA and offset roughly 1,157 metric tons of CO2 annually. The board will consider a PPA resolution on May 26.
Representatives from the Connecticut Green Bank briefed the Groton Board of Education on May 11 about a proposed carport solar project for Fitch High School and the expected economics under a power‑purchase agreement (PPA) structure.
Katie Shelton, who said she works for the Connecticut Green Bank, reviewed two completed district projects (Groton Middle School and Mystic River Magnet School), which she said outperformed production expectations and produced greater savings than originally modeled. For those projects she cited actual 12‑month savings of roughly $41,000 and just over $16,000 for the two sites analyzed, exceeding initial estimates.
For Fitch High School, Shelton described a proposed carport installation sized at just over 1.3 megawatts DC with first‑year production of about 1,720,000 kWh. Under the proposed PPA and the applicable commercial incentive carve‑out for public schools, the district would receive on‑bill monetary credits valued at approximately 5.41¢ per kWh, producing an estimated year‑one credit of about $93,212 and a modeled 20‑year cumulative benefit (factoring degradation) on the order of $1.7 million.
Shelton explained the Green Bank would develop the project through a competitive RFP and, if approved, would be the long‑term owner during the PPA term; the district would incur no upfront capital cost. She said the Green Bank would manage operations and maintenance and carry warranty and insurance while the PPA is in effect. At project end the district could choose to buy the system at fair market value, extend the PPA, or have the Green Bank remove the equipment.
Board members probed technical and contractual details: how DC system size converts to AC production and monitoring methods; expected degradation and warranty periods; removal or buyout options at contract end; insurance and operation responsibilities; and the timeline to develop, permit, interconnect and construct such a system. Shelton said development typically takes 12–18 months and that, with approvals, construction and commercial operation would likely occur in 2027; incentives tied to a 2027 submission window.
The Green Bank requested the board consider a formal vote at the May 26 meeting to authorize a PPA resolution. Board members asked that the draft PPA be circulated and reviewed by district counsel before that meeting.
No formal action was taken May 11; the board signaled readiness to move the item to the May 26 agenda for a vote pending contract review.
