District says solar arrays save about $567,000 annually but some sites remain offline; trustees hear vendor concerns

Andy Cannon presented a solar tariff optimization analysis to the board on Jan. 12, reporting that Martinez Unified’s installed PV capacity across nine sites produced about 1.7 million kilowatt-hours in the selected 12-month window (Oct. 2024–Sept. 2025), compared with an expected ~1.75 million kWh after accounting for degradation. That level equates to roughly $567,000 in annual net savings to the district, Cannon said.

Cannon noted the district pays roughly $16,000 a year for contracted maintenance services and about $410,000 to PG&E over the same period (net figures vary by date range). He said several sites — Mela Park, John Sweat and a site referenced as 'Lois' — were offline at times and that the district has been frustrated by slow responsiveness from Tesla (formerly SolarCity). The district retains Tesla’s performance guarantee (and related true-up payments), which can produce periodic cash disbursements if production falls below contractual thresholds; Cannon said the next contract true-up is in 2028 and emphasized legal counsel is involved before taking any drastic contract steps.

Cannon said the district evaluated whether to change tariffs (B6 vs. B10) and is studying how to maintain the most favorable rate given production patterns. He said the district could pursue sale of energy credits in the future if market conditions change but that current focus is on restoring offline sites and ensuring contractual performance.

Trustees pressed for clarity on maintenance fees, the duration of existing contracts (contracts extend through the 2030s with true-ups in 2028, 2033, 2038) and next steps; Cannon said the district will pursue legal correspondence to prompt vendor remediation but is cautious about terminating contracts because of the value of performance guarantees.