Star City School District (SCSD) and Yorktown Water Association (YWA) held a joint ceremony July 15th to dedicate each of their new Solar projects, in collaboration with Arkansas’ Today's Power, Inc. (TPI).
The two solar projects equal 1.5 megawatts (MW) and occupy approximately 12 acres of land. All energy generated by the two arrays will be sold to SCSD and Yorktown Water for the duration of the 20-year Solar Power Services Agreement (SPSA).
SCSD and YWA chose TPI to provide solar-generated power in 2020. After receiving all regulatory and utility approvals, construction on the 1.5 MW system began in late 2020 and was completed in June 2021.
"Through technology and collaboration, this project exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to meeting the future needs of both the school district and Yorktown Water," said TPI President Michael Henderson. "This project demonstrates that working together to co-locate their individual projects at one location saves on site development, construction efficiencies, and grid interconnection costs, resulting in overall savings for SCSD and YWA," he continued. He also stated that C&L Electric was an excellent partner in making this project a success.
Star City School District
The SCSD array is a 1-Megawatt (MW) single-axis tracking array that was built to save SCSD on their electricity costs by generating approximately 1,970,000 kWh annually, accounting for approximately 75% of the District's electricity needs, while C&L Electric Cooperative will provide the remaining 25%.
"The Star City School District is proud to be a part of this project. We want to find innovative ways to take care of our environment while being fiscally responsible. As a pillar in the Star City community, for the school district to be able to find ways to produce clean, renewable energy while saving money, this is a great opportunity that benefits everyone," said Jordan Frizzell, Star City School District Superintendent.
Yorktown Water Association
The YWA solar system has a capacity of 500 kW and utilizes single-axis tracking technology. YWA's project, like the SCSD project, is sized to provide energy security and produces 64% of the water association's energy needs, producing 1,014,000 kWh annually.
"Yorktown Water is very excited to utilize this solar project. We feel like this is a great opportunity to provide financial savings and clean, renewable energy for the future of the association,” said Jody Hibbard, Manager of Yorktown Water Association.
About
Star City School District is a public school district headquartered in Star City, Arkansas, United States. The district serves Star City and Grady as well as multiple unincorporated areas.
Yorktown Water Association is committed to providing safe, high quality water services to their community, while maintaining a standard of excellence in customer service and environmental conservation.
Today's Power, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based utility service cooperative owned by 17 Arkansas electric distribution cooperatives. Today's Power, Inc. offers turn-key solar photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, electric vehicles and charging stations for all sizes and applications.
TPI’s unique approach to in-depth analysis of utility rates and billing allows it to design renewable energy systems and manage that energy to maximize the benefits of solar and storage for not-for-profit as well as for-profit entities.
For more information:
Jennah Denney - Today’s Power Inc. - (501) 400-5548 or jdenney@todayspower.com - www.todayspower.com
Jordan Frizzell - Star City School District - (866) 446-3647 or jordan.frizzell@starcityschools.org - www.starcityschools.com/
Jody Hibbard - Yorktown Water Association – (870) 628-4000 or
jody.hibbard@yahoo.com www. yorktownwater.com