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Regional School District 09 board authorizes partnership for Barlo High School solar PPA
Summary
The Region 9 board voted unanimously to authorize partnership with the Connecticut Green Bank and to sign a netting power purchase agreement for a solar project at Barlo High School, authorizing the chair to execute a resolution subject to legal review; the PPA requires no upfront cost to the district.
The Regional School District 09 Board of Education on the evening of the meeting authorized the district to partner with the Connecticut Green Bank to advance a solar power project at Barlo High School and to execute a netting power purchase agreement (PPA), subject to review by the board’s legal counsel.
Megan, a district staff member who summarized questions submitted on the project, told the board that “there is no cost to us to put it forward” and that Green Bank provided the district with savings projections and maintenance plans. Board members pressed for details on maintenance timelines; the presentation noted Green Bank’s target for on-site repairs was about two weeks and that Green Bank assumes responsibility for maintenance under the proposed model.
Board members discussed results from reference sites and the tradeoffs between two contract structures offered: a near-term receivable (sell/buy) model and a netting model. Katie, representing Connecticut Green Bank on Zoom, explained the difference and said the near-term receivable scenario showed roughly $90,000 in year‑one estimated benefits while the netting scenario showed about $48,000 in year one; board members favored the netting model for anticipated long-term gains if utility rates rise above the 2% annual escalation used in the analysis.
Facilities director Mike Dagustinino reviewed construction logistics and advised the board that the project would be phased to limit disruption, with summer work preferred when feasible. Board members also emphasized educational uses for live output data and potential curriculum tie‑ins in environmental science and data science courses.
A member moved to authorize partnering with the Connecticut Green Bank Solar Mount Plus program, to authorize the chair to execute a resolution memorializing such agreement, and to sign a netting PPA subject to board legal counsel review. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The board did not record individual vote tallies in the transcript.
Next steps cited in the meeting: the district will authorize the resolution (effective the night of the meeting), work with Green Bank to finalize PPA side‑selection and phasing, and return to the board with final documents for signature. Board members thanked student lead Alli Murphy and staff for moving the project to a vote.
The board also noted federal tax incentives apply to the overall program (the meeting referenced a 30% ITC) and that Green Bank will coordinate necessary permitting and utility incentive enrollment.
The district’s authorization covers the execution of the resolution and negotiation of the netting PPA; final contract signing is subject to legal review and any additional board approvals required by the district’s signatory process.
