Linden Street School

Solar Photovoltaic

System Size (kW DC): 130.90

Expected Annual Electricity Generation (kWh): 153,849

Click here to view live energy data from this system!

Following the Sun’s Every Move

The Linden Street School solar power installation is the first combined rooftop solar panel and tracker system in the state of Connecticut. Designed and installed by OPEL Inc. the system makes use of a device – a tracker – which orients the school’s solar panels at an optimal angle to the sun, changing the tilt and direction of the panels as the sun’s position moves. According to an OPEL executive, the company’s rooftop tracker system will generate up to 30 percent more kilowatt-hours than conventional fixed flat-plate silicon solar panels. The result… more cost effective, environmentally sound power for the school.

Linden Street School’s solar PV array is a great asset to the town of Plainville. The town incurred no capital costs for the installation and will enjoy significant annual savings on the school’s electricity bills. How did the town incur no capital costs? Through a grant from the CCEF and a creative financing structure known as a power purchase agreement (PPA). Under the terms of the PPA , OPEL owns, operates and maintains the solar PV system on the school’s roof and sells the clean electricity generated by the system to the town of Plainville at a discounted rate from what the local utility would charge.

Plainville’s superintendent of schools notes that this innovative solar power initiative not only promotes a cleaner environment but also offers a unique educational opportunity for the students at Linden Street School to see solar energy in action firsthand.