The sun shaved $1.4 million off the Manteca Unified electricity bill during the first full year that solar panels were in place at 25 campuses and the district office complex.
Without solar, the PG&E electricity bill for the 2013-14 school year would have been $2,172,790.46 instead of $773,468.82. It reflects a savings of 64.42 percent. Part of the savings goes to cover the cost of the $32 million project. The rest goes to the general fund.
District savings will continue to increase whenever PG&E rate hikes are approved. Also when the solar installation is paid off savings will soar.
When the project was started in 2012 the conservative projection called for $48 million in district savings over 25 years.
Lathrop High led the district in savings with nearly $180,000 in PG&E costs avoided. Sierra High was next with just under $150,000 in savings followed by Weston Ranch High at about $130,000.
The District office complex that includes central refrigeration warehouses for nutrition services came in at about $125,000.
The biggest cost savings amount among elementary campuses occurred at Widmer School with a savings of under $60,000.
Manteca Unified cuts PG&E bill by $1.4M