RIPON - South San Joaquin Irrigation District could lower retail power costs enough that it may make the need for Ripon Unified to put a solar energy project in place at the school farm to save as much as $3 million over the next 20 years a moot point
That and concerns about entering a long-term deal with a fledgling company prompted the Ripon Unified School District board on Monday night to table a plan for a proposed four- to five-acre solar farm proposed at the district school farm on North Ripon Road.
The SSJID is in the process of seeking approval from the San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission in early 2011 to enter the retail power business. If given the green light, SSJID has indicated they can save all electricity users in Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon 15 percent across the board as a minimum starting point.
John Berry, representing the green energy management firm 2COR9, presented a proposal at the school board’s October meeting laying out a plan that he felt would save the district $3 million over the next 20 years by augmenting a co-generation plant with solar panels.
He interjected that should the 24-hour operation of the co-generation plant not produce sufficient power that his company could always add more panels at the school farm site.
Board members had asked Berry to revise the cost/benefit spread sheets to account for the co-generation unit operation that is being installed on the Ripon High School campus and make his presentation at the Nov. 8 meeting of the trustees.
The 2COR9 company specializes in energy management assessment and retrofits, renewable energy power project installations and energy management. The solar panel project would be constructed for the Ripon school district without cost, except for the charges from PG&E.
The district will have the option to purchase the solar project after 10 years of operation at a fair market value.
Berry further argued that by locking into the current PG&E utility prices, it would save the district a considerable amount of money in the long run.
Trustees Mike Fisher and Ernie Tyhurst questioned the plan with Fisher asking why the Modesto Irrigation District (MID) prices hadn’t been figured into the proposal that he said referred only to PG&E. Fisher added that the MID prices today are much less than that of
PG&E. He also noted that with SSJID planning to compete in the electricity provider business, it would be hard to say what the future would hold for the Ripon community in power costs.
Tyhurst said he would like to see bids from other green energy solar companies competing in the field. He said while it is probably the same issues competing with the 2COR9 firm there could be a different design issue.
“I think it might be a good idea to find out if there are other alternatives,” he said.
Fisher noted that the MID prices for service in Ripon are lower, reiterating that the utility service providers of the future in the Ripon community are unclear.
“If we commit to this now, we will be locked in. I can’t follow their numbers,” he said as he scanned a company print out.
Superintendent Louise Nan added that the board could wait until the cogeneration unit is installed on line – get more information – and a clearer idea of what is going to happen with SSJID as a power provider.
That and concerns about entering a long-term deal with a fledgling company prompted the Ripon Unified School District board on Monday night to table a plan for a proposed four- to five-acre solar farm proposed at the district school farm on North Ripon Road.
The SSJID is in the process of seeking approval from the San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission in early 2011 to enter the retail power business. If given the green light, SSJID has indicated they can save all electricity users in Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon 15 percent across the board as a minimum starting point.
John Berry, representing the green energy management firm 2COR9, presented a proposal at the school board’s October meeting laying out a plan that he felt would save the district $3 million over the next 20 years by augmenting a co-generation plant with solar panels.
He interjected that should the 24-hour operation of the co-generation plant not produce sufficient power that his company could always add more panels at the school farm site.
Board members had asked Berry to revise the cost/benefit spread sheets to account for the co-generation unit operation that is being installed on the Ripon High School campus and make his presentation at the Nov. 8 meeting of the trustees.
The 2COR9 company specializes in energy management assessment and retrofits, renewable energy power project installations and energy management. The solar panel project would be constructed for the Ripon school district without cost, except for the charges from PG&E.
The district will have the option to purchase the solar project after 10 years of operation at a fair market value.
Berry further argued that by locking into the current PG&E utility prices, it would save the district a considerable amount of money in the long run.
Trustees Mike Fisher and Ernie Tyhurst questioned the plan with Fisher asking why the Modesto Irrigation District (MID) prices hadn’t been figured into the proposal that he said referred only to PG&E. Fisher added that the MID prices today are much less than that of
PG&E. He also noted that with SSJID planning to compete in the electricity provider business, it would be hard to say what the future would hold for the Ripon community in power costs.
Tyhurst said he would like to see bids from other green energy solar companies competing in the field. He said while it is probably the same issues competing with the 2COR9 firm there could be a different design issue.
“I think it might be a good idea to find out if there are other alternatives,” he said.
Fisher noted that the MID prices for service in Ripon are lower, reiterating that the utility service providers of the future in the Ripon community are unclear.
“If we commit to this now, we will be locked in. I can’t follow their numbers,” he said as he scanned a company print out.
Superintendent Louise Nan added that the board could wait until the cogeneration unit is installed on line – get more information – and a clearer idea of what is going to happen with SSJID as a power provider.
