OVID-ELSIE, Mich. — Ovid-Elsie Area Schools is getting a new stadium this summer, but that's not all. The district has also decided to go green by installing solar panels.
"Back in 2019, we'd engaged with a company out of Indiana called Sun FundED," Superintendent Ryan Cunningham said. "The ED on the end of Sun FundED is capitalized because they have a real educational focus."
According to Sun FundED's website, the company exclusively serves educational clients and does the legwork of having the panels installed, including development, financing, construction and operations.
"The district had to commit $1 for—kind of—exclusivity for a year, while they developed our system and looked at our rays and how much money they can project we save," Cunningham said.
The district could save up to $30,000, Cunningham said, and $4 million over the life of the solar system, which is in-between 25 and 30 years.
Each elementary school and the Middle School / High School will have its own array of solar panels.
"Which we believe will offset almost 100 percent of the energy at the elementary schools and then a portion of the High School / Middle School-Bus Garage campus," Cunningham said. "We use a lot of energy out here."
Cunningham said when they're up and running, each building will have a kiosk for information about the solar panels.
"The U.V. output, what our consumption is, things like that," Cunningham said. "We feel that just the solar aspect of it we can build a curriculum around and really engage our kids into it."
Cunningham said the plan is for the solar panels to be up and running by fall.
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