Marana Unified authorizes 20-year power purchase agreement with Solon for Vista Academy solar structure

The Marana Unified School District governing board authorized the administration to proceed with a 20-year power purchase agreement with Solon Corporation LLC to build a covered solar structure at Marana Vista Academy that will include a half-court basketball surface and artificial turf.

CFO Thomas Bogart described the project as a capital improvement to be paid from remaining School Facilities Division funds that must be spent at the site by July 1. The proposed system would be part of a 20-year contract the district would purchase from the vendor; at the end of the contract the vendor may remove or leave the system per contract terms.

Board members questioned the projected savings and the table of capital costs and utility projections. Mr. Carlson pressed the math, noting a projected current utility bill of about $2.3 million over 20 years versus a projected post-solar cost of about $793,000 and said that appeared to be roughly $1.3–$1.4 million in savings. Administration explained the difference reflects the structural capital investment required for the covered solar superstructure and that this project is a power purchase agreement (PPA), not a lease-purchase, which changes who pays upfront capital costs.

Administration said the procurement team vetted Solon’s cooperative contract and legal counsel reviewed the agreement; references were checked and prior work with other southern Arizona districts was noted. The board authorized CFO Thomas Bogart to execute the necessary documents and final agreements subject to administration review of financial projections and technical specifications.

The motion carried with no recorded opposition.