Baker Electric Solar performed as the subcontractor to General Contractor, White Construction, Inc., to deliver the T.A. Acacia West Antelope Solar utility scale project located near Lancaster, CA. The PV electric generating facility totals 28.35 MW, with solar arrays spanning over 178 acres. The scope of work included installing 32,800 Canadian Solar CS6X-300P modules, 60,680 Canadian Solar CS6X-305P modules, and 137 tracker motors for TA-Acacia. At the projects peek, there were 227 employees working 12 hour days, 7 days a week. The project was completed in less than 12 weeks.

This 17 acre utility scale solar project generates 2MW of energy.

The Challenge:

Escondido Charter High School was faced with a challenge:

• Save on electrical costs in order to put more funds back into the classroom.

ECHS’s Founder and President, Dennis “Coach” Snyder, had the foresight eight years ago to install solar on the school’s gymnasium roof to save on energy costs. With continued growth, the initial small PV system could not keep up with energy demands. This led the school to look into expanding the size of their system in order to keep electrical costs low so they can invest their funds in the classroom where they belong.

The Solution:

Baker designed and installed a customized 321.75 kW solar system in order to meet the school’s goal of cutting energy costs.

“Baker approached us with an opportunity that would cost tax payers nothing and would significantly reduce our facility’s electricity costs,” said Coach Snyder. “With electricity one of our largest expenditures, the Baker proposal made dollars and sense. Our Board was excited about putting energy cost savings back into the classroom, which is what we are in business to do. As for Baker, they were our solar provider choice based on their longevity in the community and reputation for quality work.”

The Result:

The high school will see a 63% reduction in their annual electricity bills based on past consumption and will save an estimated $108,926 on its electricity bills the first year. “The solar system will provide more than $1,689,588 in net savings to the high school over the 25-year warrantied life of the solar modules. It’s great to know these funds will go toward furthering academic success for thousands of students for years to come,” said Baker’s Director of Commercial Solar, Scott Williams. Per the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, the new ECHS solar system will save the equivalent of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 839,192 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle. It will offset CO2 emissions from 39,400 gallons of gasoline consumed or 373,645 pounds of coal burned.

This 2,000+ seat headliner theater is accessible via the casino and includes multi-level seating areas, VIP box suites and lounges, multiple bars and state-of-the-art sound and lighting. Additionally, the project incorporated the construction of a 10,000 SF warehouse to support hotel and casino operations, linked to the hotel via a 500-foot-long underground tunnel.