Roundup: Savings from Solar Power at Analy
The rise of PG&E rates; while the Russian River and Laguna rose, they didn't reach flood stage; voting booths open.
Analy High School faces the same sobering reality as everyone else in California - PG&E rates have doubled over the last seven years and by 32% over the last year. Fortunately, the District’s installation of solar panels in 2011 continues to pay dividends as nearly three-fourths of the electricity used by the district comes from solar, not PG&E.
At last Wednesday’s board meeting, Jennie Bruneman, the District’s Director of of Facilities, Bond & Technology, introduced an a review of its energy management by its vendor Site Logiq, which also provides this Energy Dashboard for the District.
The Site Logiq representative gave a presentation that showed the rise of PG&E rates with a 32% increase from last year alone, a chart that can make any rate payer cringe. The energy managers quipped that the “huge increases are the tax that we pay for PG&E’s mistakes.”
Analy’s usage of electricity has decreased on average over the last five years.
In addition to decreasing its overall use of electricity, the District has been able to generate 74.4% of its own energy through its solar panels.
Sometimes a well-made plan delivers on its promise and that’s been true for the District’s use of bond-measure funding to pay for the purchase and installation of large solar arrays on both Sebastopol and Forestville campuses.
"We are on schedule to finish the main construction before school starts," said Keller McDonald, superintendent of West County School District where $4.6 million portion of a $23.8 million bond measure have been issued for solar arrays on the campuses of El Molino and Analy high schools.
The district hopes to generate 75 percent of its energy costs from the solar panels that are being installed as shade structures, parking lot covers and as roof panels, McDonald said.
Press Democrat, “Sonoma County Schools Focus on Solar Projects” by Kerry Benefield, July 21, 2011.
From 2017-2024, the District’s reliance on solar power has resulted in an estimated savings of $1.9 million — what would have been paid to PG&E out of the school budget. Bruneman pointed out in the meeting that this number does not include savings for the earlier years between 2011 and 2016, in which solar was also operating.
The reliance on alternative energy has also reduced the CO2 emissions by the District’s power consumption.
As mentioned, the District’s Energy Dashboard provides a lot more information.
Waterways absorbed a lot of water but didn’t flood
Last week’s storms dumped a lot of rain on the area but while the Russian River rose, it stayed below flood stage. The peak of 28.11 ft was just below the “take action” stage of 29.0 ft; flood stage is 32 ft, as shown in the graph below.
The Laguna de Santa Rosa also remained well below flood stage.
Vote Now
You can vote now for the March 5th primary election. The Sebastopol Center for the Arts serves as a polling station for in-person or drop-off ballots from yesterday February 25 through March 5. Hours for voting in-person are 9am to 5pm and includes Saturday and Sunday.
The Week of February 19-24
Two stories on this past week’s City Council meeting and the Ceasefire resolution — before and after the meeting.
Storm related coverage: The Laguna Rises and Tree Fall Grazes Analy Band Room.
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I know this is an article about Analy saving money with their solar, and that’s fantastic! I am just at a loss at the 32% PG&E increase. I hate that there’s nothing I can do about it.