Committee votes to send proposal for solar arrays at Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern to full board

The Board of Education Finance and Operations Committee voted to send a proposal to the full board to pursue solar arrays at Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern high schools after a 15-minute presentation and subsequent discussion.

Adam Te, general manager of Titan Gen, told the committee the district could realize substantial operational utility savings over the life of the systems and that the projects could be structured with no out-of-pocket cost to the district if third-party developers owned and operated the arrays. "We've estimated that the district could save about $8 million operationally. And that's zero out-of-pocket expense," Te said, while noting that the estimate is contingent on capturing federal tax incentives.

Te explained the typical project approach would be to issue an RFP, select a developer to own, operate and maintain the systems, and either buy power from that developer under a fixed-rate power purchase agreement or receive utility bill credits. He emphasized a time-sensitive detail: under the Inflation Reduction Act incentive schedule discussed, developers generally must contract by July to preserve the investment tax credit he said equates to about 30% to 40% of project cost. "So that $8 million figure that I listed at the top is contingent upon Bristol being able to act in time to capture that investment tax credit," he said.

Committee members pressed for details about timing and contractual protections. Te said baseline commercial contracts are commonly 20 years and include off-ramps and contingencies to address issues such as roof repairs or delays; vendors typically handle ongoing operation and maintenance. He described options to structure agreements to guarantee either a fixed buying price for power or guaranteed savings and said developers will often provide warranties and service during the contract term.

Several members urged a phased approach. One member who identified himself as Pete cautioned that rooftop installations may be difficult if roof and rooftop-unit capital work proceeds on a different schedule; he recommended prioritizing ground-mounted and canopy projects to capture tax credits while roofing work is resolved. Te agreed that canopies could be implemented first and that rooftop placement would be refined in coordination with facilities and any re-roofing plans.

After the presentation and discussion, a motion to bring the solar arrays proposal for Bristol Eastern High School and Bristol Central High School to the full board was moved and seconded; the motion passed. The committee did not record a roll-call vote or individual vote tallies in the transcript; the motion was announced as passed and will be scheduled on the full board agenda.

Next steps identified in the discussion included: refining scope and site layouts with facilities staff, preparing an RFP in coordination with city procurement if the board chooses to proceed, and pursuing contract language that preserves flexibility for roof work and timelines to lock in federal incentives.