Staunton, VA, Dec. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Secure Solar Futures, a provider of on-site clean energy to schools, hospitals, and businesses, has signed a 25-year Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Mountain Empire Community College to develop a 777-kilowatt solar power system on its campus in Big Stone Gap, Va. MECC is a comprehensive two-year college serving residents of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson Counties, and the City of Norton.
The agreement will provide the college with on-site solar power at no upfront capital cost for the next three decades or more while offering opportunities for workforce development in renewable energy. The solar project received an incentive grant of $100,000 from the Coalfield Solar Fund, a partnership of the technology company Intuit, the National Energy Education Development Project, and Secure Solar Futures. Coalfield Solar Fund grants encourage K-12 public schools and community colleges in coalfield communities in Virginia and West Virginia to adopt solar power.
“This initiative is not just about energy sustainability; it’s a significant stride towards creating meaningful educational and career opportunities in our community,” said Kristin Westover, president of MECC. “By integrating solar technology with workforce development, we’re not only contributing to environmental conservation but also paving the way for future generations to pursue rewarding careers in the energy sector in SWVA, the heart of energy production.”
Secure Solar Futures will install a total of 1,679 solar panels manufactured by Jinko Solar at two locations. Dalton-Cantrell Hall will host 117 kilowatts of solar capacity, covering 47% of the building’s electricity demand, while five buildings located near each other (Godwin Hall, Holton Hall, Robb Hall, Phillips-Taylor Hall, and the Goodloe Center) will host 659 kilowatts of solar capacity, covering 29% of the power demand of those facilities.
After installation, Secure Solar Futures will own, operate, and maintain the solar equipment and sell the clean energy produced to MECC for the term of the PPA.
In its first year, the solar system will produce 1,032,400 kilowatt hours of electric power, which is enough energy to power 142 average homes while avoiding the equivalent of more than 732 metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution, an amount that would be produced by burning 819,553 pounds of coal or using 82,327 gallons of gasoline.
At the conclusion of the PPA term, MECC will take ownership of the solar power system at no additional cost, producing its own energy for the remainder of the equipment’s 35- to 40-year productive lifespan.
In addition to installing and operating solar energy systems, Secure Solar Futures will continue to help the college operate a workforce development program to train solar power technicians.
“We look forward to continuing to build on the partnership among MECC and others to expand on the shining example of how a community-based demand-pull model for solar + workforce development generates college enrolment and significant savings. And all while creating a sustainable pipeline for exciting and well-paying career paths in coalfield communities,” said Anthony Smith, president of Secure Solar Futures. “This is particularly gratifying as we witness the difference this makes for each individual, one person at a time, and their families who can now envision a career and a future for living and working in their home community.”
The Coalfield Solar Fund offers solar incentive grants to K-12 public schools and community colleges in 7 counties and the city of Norton in Virginia along with 28 counties in West Virginia. The three-year program is now accepting applications for its second year of funding at its website, coalfieldsolarfund.org.
“Our regional cluster strategy builds on the organizational culture and systems already present between community colleges and their feeder public school districts, notably their career and technical education programs,” said Smith.
Organizations and initiatives that helped develop the project included the Southwest Solar Workgroup, and the Solar Finance Fund, along with the feeder school districts and Career and Technical Education programs in Wise and Lee Counties.
About Secure Solar Futures
As a market and policy leader, Secure Solar Futures builds, owns, manages, and funds affordable Resilient Solar Solutions® for schools, hospitals, and businesses. The company combines state-of–the-art solar technology with an innovative business model to make commercial-scale solar readily affordable in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, helping customers to realize the economic, environmental, and community benefits of solar energy. In 2017, Secure Solar Futures became a Certified B Corporation®. Find the company online at www.securesolarfutures.com.