The new array will be on campus near the Berryville School District's football and baseball fields.
The Berryville School District and Today’s Power Inc. of North Little Rock broke ground Thursday on a solar energy array that will cover 80% of the 1,900-student system’s electricity load, officials said.
The 1-megawatt array near the school system’s football and baseball fields will include 3,000 solar panels and use single-axis tracking. It is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Berryville Superintendent Owen Powell called utility-scale solar “the most cost-effective way to benefit all who work and learn in Berryville schools” while also investing in “a green, clean, renewable source of generation right here in our town.”
Today’s Power, founded by Arkansas’ rural electric cooperatives, will develop, install and own the solar array, selling the electricity at a discount to the school system. The company has built projects totaling nearly $110 million in investment since its founding in 2015.
The Berryville district sweetened the deal, getting more competitive long-term rates with TPI by partnering with the Barnabas Team of northwest Arkansas, a consulting group, in the request-for-proposals phase.
The school will be responsible for purchasing the power produced by the system, but not for its ongoing operation and maintenance. All of these factors will combine to keep the electricity costs stable and affordable for the schools.
The district’s solar power service agreement with TPI runs for 25 years.
“TPI is proud to be partnering with Berryville Schools,” TPI President Michael Henderson said in a company statement. “With this solar array, the district will produce green energy, which will benefit all of its students by lowering the school’s energy costs. In addition, it will be an excellent educational resource. It’s rare that one project will help so many students, teachers, and staff.”
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