Courtesy of LGSUHSD Board of Trustees
Saratoga High’s proposed solar panel layout at the front parking lot is on track to be installed by 2026.The school’s long-awaited solar panel project is moving forward from board approval to design and permitting, with construction scheduled to end in April 2026.
Current plans call for the installation of three rows of solar carports, raised canopies built over parking spaces topped with solar panels that simultaneously generate electricity for the campus while providing shade and rain protection. The system aims to balance out power use and reduce utility costs.
“The updated plans allow the projects to meet PG&E’s power production requirements and they also allow us to maintain our NEM 2 (Second-Generation Net Energy Metering) qualifications,” LGSUHSD maintenance and facilities director Toby Mockler said during the meeting.
In other words, the redesign meets PG&E’s standards and is also within California’s net energy rules. Mockler also added the district must get PG&E’s final approval for the electrical plan by April 15 to meet legal conditions of California’s Net Energy Metering 2.0 (NEM 2) program, overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission. In order to qualify for the NEM-2 cutoff, the project will need to be completed and connected to the PG&E power grid by April 2026.
Mockler said that because of the large size of the parking lots, it would be easy to stage the work in sections, closing off different parts of the parking lot over time. Leveraging the space allows people to continue parking while construction is underway.
Instead of buying the system outright, which would have been in the $10 million range, the district approved a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Centrica for the solar carports. Under the PPA, Centrica builds and maintains the array and the district pays a fixed per-kWh rate for the electricity it produces.
This front-lot system is roughly 785kW and expected to generate about 1.25 million kWh in year one, which reduces 100% of electrical usage at SHS while the system at LGHS will lead to a 50% savings. With no upfront cost to the district, electricity rates will increase slightly. The district will pay the increased rate for 25 years. It is estimated that within four years, the system will provide cheaper electricity, saving the district about $3.9 million over 25 years.
Trustees first reviewed and approved the PPA approach a year ago. In their presentation, the district outlined spending $80,000-90,000 toward the construction of the systems.
Nearly a year later, during the August board meeting, trustees reviewed the project again, this time with updated costs and requirements.
In the Aug. 7 board meeting, Patrick Bernhardt, the executive director of business services, explained that material costs have increased due to both inflation and the Trump administration’s tariffs.
Additionally, he warned that when the solar system overhangs ADA [American Disability Act] spaces, they have to be brought up to compliance with current ADA code, meaning that parking spots must be updated to today’s accessibility standards before the project can proceed. Even with those added requirements and costs, he emphasized that the timeline remains on pace for April 2026.
