Solar  -  January 7, 2020

Arkansas school district plans two solar arrays to offset electricity

The Stuttgart School District in Arkansas will be completely offsetting their electricity use through the installation of two solar arrays made up of 3,700 solar panels.

The first will be a 200 kW array near the district's main campus and the second will be a 1.3 MW single-axis tracking system located elsewhere in the Stuttgart district, Arkansas Business reported Jan. 6. The two solar systems are expected to produce 2.5 million kWh of electricity a year and offset $7 million in electricity spending over the next 30 years.

“The Stuttgart School District is always looking for ways to invest in the educational experiences we offer our students,” Superintendent Rick Gales said in a statement. “This partnership offers us the opportunity of utilizing new renewable energy technology, exposing our students to sustainability, and being a financial win for our school district as a whole. We believe it is the right example for students to see us supporting the environment that has supported this farming community for so many decades.”

The two solar arrays will be installed by Scenic Hill Solar of North Little Rock. Construction will begin in the second quarter of this year and the systems are expected to begin generating power by the end of 2020.