A group of Colorado-based companies have joined forces to help an area school achieve an ambitious goal. The Stanley British Primary School in East Denver is a small, K-8 school that chose to produce a meaningful amount of its energy through renewable means. The school approached Denver-based Renewable Technology Partners to serve as the developer, and that group in turn looked to Boulder, Colo.-based Simple Solar to construct the 66-kilowatt solar electric system under a Power Purchase Agreement, or PPA. PPAs are an increasingly common concept used by developers to facilitate third-party ownership and operation of solar power systems. The goal is to provide an economical way for nonprofits and businesses to receive the benefit of solar power with no out of pocket costs. Each component of the system was manufactured and installed by Colorado-based companies. The PV panels come from Longmont, Colo.-based Abound Solar, the inverters are from Fort Collins, Colo.-based Advanced Energy, and the roof racking system is from Colorado Springs, Colo.-based S-5! The attachment system allows the PV panels to be mounted on the school’s standing seam metal roof without penetrating it, leaving the roof and related warranties intact.
