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City council approves solar power purchase agreement for Charlottesville Middle School
Summary
Council approved a no‑upfront‑cost solar power purchase agreement for Charlottesville Middle School to install rooftop solar, project staff said it will avoid electricity costs over 25 years and take advantage of available federal tax incentives if executed before July.
The Charlottesville City Council on May 20 voted 5–0 to authorize the city manager to execute a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) for Charlottesville Middle School, a contract that enables a developer to finance, install, own and operate rooftop solar and sell electricity to the school under a long‑term agreement.
City sustainability staff said the PPA requires no upfront capital from the city and is projected to produce nearly $1.3 million in avoided electricity costs over a 25‑year term while advancing local greenhouse gas reduction goals. “The PPA enables the customer to receive predictable and often lower cost electricity with no upfront capital investment,” Crystal Ritterville, director of the Office of Sustainability, told council.
Timing and incentives: Staff emphasized the importance of executing the agreement promptly to capture a federal tax‑credit benefit that is scheduled to change in July; council heard that the executed agreement for Charlottesville High School already leveraged the same financing model and that the developer will coordinate with Dominion Energy for required utility upgrades.
Installation timeline and scope: Staff said, once the agreement is signed and Dominion receives authorization, the utility and developer will finalize a construction schedule; staff and the developer estimated installation planning will proceed over several months and that construction could begin approximately a year from approval, with work planned to minimize school‑year disruption.
Vote and next steps: After questions from council about site choices and future opportunities (parking canopies, other municipal roofs), a councilor moved and the body approved the resolution to execute the PPA. Staff will now sign the PPA, coordinate the Dominion authorization letter of agreement and bring any follow‑up items needed for utility or scheduling approvals.
The PPA is part of the city's climate-action strategy to reduce emissions 45% by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by midcentury; staff noted the project does not require local capital and is intended to be a replicable financing model for other municipal roofs.
