Woodlawn School District Breaks Ground on Solar Project

Woodlawn Superintendent Dr. Kevin Hancock, the Woodlawn School Board and staff from Delta Solar officially broke ground last Wednesday, Oct. 12, at a site near Calmer that will serve as home for an array of solar panels that will offset energy being used by the school district. Douglas Hutchings, CEO of Delta Solar, said the array will generate about 512 kilowatts of energy that will be fed back into the C&L Electric Cooperative power grid to offset about 80 percent of the energy being used by the district. Delta Solar estimates the Woodlawn School District will save more than $1 million in energy costs over the life of the system. Hutchings said the array for the Woodlawn School District will take up about two acres of the seven-acre site that is located along Hwy. 63 across from the Woodlawn Fire Station south of Calmer. He said construction will begin soon and he expects it to be operational by the end of the year. Under the terms of the agreement, Delta Solar will pay for and build the solar panel array while the Woodlawn School District will pay Delta Solar nearly 6 cents for every kilowatt, which is a lower rate than what the district would typically pay. Those taking part in the ground-breaking ceremony were (left to right) A.J. Hood of Delta Solar, school board vember Shane Dixon, Stephen Boyd of Delta Solar, school board member Aaron Tooke, Delta Solar president Katie Niebaum, school board member Rodger Stewart, Superintendent Dr. Kevin Hancock, Delta Solar CEO Douglas Hutchings, school board president Larry Reynolds, school board member David Stover and Josef Braunfisch of Delta Solar.