INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) recently announced it is moving forward with planning for a solar energy project that would significantly reduce costs, cut carbon emissions and boost sustainability efforts in the state’s largest city.
The IPS Board of School Commissioners approved an agreement with Carmel-based Sun FundED to develop, finance and operate solar energy systems for the district under the firm’s “Solar-as-a-Service” program. The project would reduce energy costs by an estimated $45 million over the next 30 years.
If approved and installed as planned, the project would represent the largest solar energy project by an educational institution in Indiana history. The project proposes both roof and land based solar installations at 20 schools, and also includes the ability for the district to adopt renewable energy and sustainability programs for the classroom through SAMI, a digital platform intended to help students understand the financial and technical aspects of solar energy.
Project locations, size and system output will be finalized through the development phase of the project. Based on the initial 20 buildings, it’s estimated that first-year savings for IPS would be more than $120,000. Those savings are estimated to increase to $22 million by year 25, and $40 million by year 30.