Spotlight on: Santa Barbara USD’s Microgrid

We’re excited to share a new spotlight on Santa Barbara Unified School District’s microgrid, which will not only save them $17 million over the next 28 years on electricity alone, but will also ensure their power never goes out, protecting critical infrastructure like freezers, internet, and emergency shelters.

This spotlight shares how solar panels and battery storage across this 12,500 student district came to be, from the leadership of the Superintendent and a school board member, to initial conversations between partners, to how the RFP specified an innovative tiering system to ensure critical loads would always remain online.

Check out this exciting story, which is part of our partnership with the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and Ten Strands. We hope Santa Barbara USD’s story inspires you to work with your school district to install clean energy technology that protects our schools and students during emergencies while saving precious dollars we can invest back into our students.