Another East Bay Church Goes Solar with Diocese of Oakland Solar Program
Novato and Sonoma based SolarCraft, a leading North Bay solar installer for over 35 years, recently completed the installation of a 148.5 kW DC solar system at Christ the King Catholic School in Pleasant Hill, CA. The system is designed to provide over 66.57% of their school's annual electrical needs for the facilities. The solar panels were installed as a way to save energy and protect the environment, reducing their operating costs by thousands every month and lower their carbon footprint.
The solar power system is roof mounted for maximum southern sun exposure on the school, offices and gymnasium, consisting of 396 high-efficiency solar panels, producing 206,549 kWh annually. Excess power generated during the day is banked by PG&E for credit towards future use when the sun isn't shining.
"SolarCraft has built a relationship of trust with us as a Catholic School and the outcome has been a stellar project that fulfills our church's social teachings, and continues to make us great stewards of our environment and long term financial health," said Joseph Silveira, Principal of Christ the King Catholic School. "As a longstanding educational leader, I found the folks from SolarCraft to be highly professional, flexible, and full of great intentions."
The solar installation at Christ the King is one of many planned through the Diocese of Oakland Solar Energy Program for Parishes and Schools, displaying community leadership by promoting environmental responsibility through the implementation of renewable energy, but also recognizing the importance of managing operation costs.
California Clean Energy (CCE), a Renewable Energy Service Provider for nonprofit organizations, will own the system and recover its costs through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the church. A PPA is an alternative to purchasing or financing your own solar power system, providing nonprofits the opportunity to utilize clean solar energy with no up-front costs and no system operation, maintenance, and replacement costs. Customers also benefit from pre-set electricity prices which will never increase.
Every year over 146 metric tons of carbon dioxide generated by Christ the King's operations will be eliminated. This impact is equivalent to removing air pollution produced by almost 9 million miles of driving over 25 years or the pollutants removed by 172 acres of trees in one year.
About Christ the King
Christ the King school is a family centered, faith based parish school serving students in grades Kindergarten through Eight. A K-8, coeducational school, Christ the King is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and Western Catholic Educators Association (WCEA). Christ the King Catholic School provides a comprehensive learning experience through a challenging K-8 curriculum aligned with Common Core Standards.
SolarCraft is 100% Employee-Owned and one of the largest green-tech employers based in the North Bay for over 35 years. SolarCraft delivers Clean Energy Solutions for homes and businesses including Solar Electric, Solar Pool Heating and Battery / Energy Storage. With over 7,000 customers, our team of dedicated employee-partners is proud to have installed more solar energy systems than any other company in the North Bay. www.solarcraft.com
