90 California Schools to Benefit from Solar Initiative (with Related Video)

The California School Boards Association has begun a program to help schools in the state install solar energy systems.

Partnering with SunPower, a manufacturer of solar panels, the program, dubbed Solar Schools, aims to install solar systems at 90 schools over the next year throughout California. In the San Ramon Valley district, five schools will receive solar installations, which are projected to offset 80 percent of electricity costs at each school. That represents more than $2 million in savings in the first year, the association says.

The program will take advantage of federal and state incentives, including the California Solar Initiative, a rebate program that is expected to save education institutions about $1.5 billion in energy costs over the 30-year life of the solar panels.

Related Video

Learn more about California's solar initiative.