CRAWLEY, W.Va. (WVDN) – Today, Greenbrier County Schools, CMTA (MEP Engineer), and UndauntedK12 held a ribbon cutting to celebrate GCS’ installation of the largest district-owned solar array in West Virginia.
“Our number one goal at Greenbrier County Schools is to provide what’s best for our students and staff and we strive to have some of the greatest facilities, with our challenges with our budgets, it gets difficult. And one of the challenges is our energy costs, because every year they continue to grow. And it makes it very, very hard for us to do what we want to do,” said Board of Education President Jeanie Wyatt, ”So by partnering with CMTA, we now have facilities that are state of the art, they are sustainable and energy efficient. We don’t have to rely on outside resources for our energy. We are going to cut our energy costs but we are also going to make dividends for the county.”
About the solar and geothermal energy systems installed in the district, Jeffrey Bryant, Greenbrier County Schools Superintendent said, “The significant difference it will make in energy costs and the comfort it will provide for students and teachers is truly remarkable.”
“They are taking advantage at a crucial time with the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides incentives for solar and geothermal. It’s going to equate to approximately $2 million in additional funding for the project,” said Jacob Evans, CMTA Project Manager.
“Energy from the sun has been helping power life on Earth for millennia,” said Elijah McDaniel, GCS Student. “The sun has an endless amount of energy and is renewable, where fossil fuels are not. It lowers the electricity bill, which can be used for new computers, desks, and higher teacher pay. In the future, the solar array will pay for itself.”
In August 2024, Greenbrier County Schools installed a ground-source heat pump system and solar array. These clean energy technologies are expected to generate a $2 million federal reimbursement, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and significantly boost energy efficiency.
While the ground-source heat pumps were under construction, students toured the construction site and learned about renewable energy from the construction team. Teachers plan to expand on this learning opportunity using an educational solar dashboard, and an interactive, outdoor learning space that models the school building and the renewable energy systems.
Projects Across the District
In addition to the solar array, the $14 million energy savings contract includes numerous other projects across Greenbrier County Schools:
- LED Lighting Upgrades: Over 10,000 fixtures were upgraded across 13 buildings, replacing old fluorescent lights with modern LED technologies.
- HVAC Renovations: Other significant HVAC renovation projects were completed, including:
- A chiller replacement at Ronsford Elementary
- A variable refrigerant flow system at Smoot Elementary.
Schools can learn more about accessing electrification savings through the Inflation Reduction Act at:
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