By Sarah Ingram, The Herald-Dispatch
WAYNE, W.Va. — The Wayne County Board of Education approved an ongoing contract with Solar Holler, a local solar energy company, to begin work for solar panel installation on Wayne County Schools buildings.
During the Nov. 14 Board of Education meeting, the board approved power purchase agreements and rooftop system site lease agreements with Solar Holler for the purchase of electricity and the installation, maintenance and operation of solar energy generation and/or storage equipment and facilities.
Superintendent Todd Alexander said the solar panels are expected to go on all 21 buildings in the school district. The board’s approval Tuesday permits Alexander to approve a power purchase agreement for each facility before moving forward, but Alexander said he expects to get solar panels on as many buildings as possible, if not all of them.
“We’re very excited to work with Solar Holler, and it being a local, Wayne County business that we have current and former students with as well, makes it even more exciting,” he said.
After the solar panels are installed, the board would purchase a portion of its electricity from Solar Holler, at a locked-in rate once the purchase agreements are signed for each facility, and would purchase any additional electricity from the district’s current power company.