School board examines move to solar, other green power

At a special board meeting held last Saturday, administrators from the Sonoma Valley Unified School District and the school board met with the Santa Rosa-based firm of Quattrocchi Kwok Architects to discuss ways in which the district can move towards using increased levels of green power. QKA is a well-known leader in green projects with a Web statement which proclaims their commitment to helping California school districts harness the power of the sun to generate renewable energy.

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District’s Assistant Superintendent of Business Justin Frese said the district is looking at many different possibilities in addition to solar including water reclamation, bio-diesel generation, geo-thermal and the use of electric-powered maintenance vehicles and school busses. Frese was quick to point out, whichever avenue they choose, it’s important it has an educational component.

“Our approach is three-fold: first we want to save money; second, we want to get students involved in green project implementation; and third, we want to do our part to save the planet,” said Frese.

According to Frese, a large portion of the budget deficit – approximately $500,000 – could be eliminated by switching to green power. Additionally, the district could receive performance-based incentives from PG & E amounting to another $500,000 over the course of five years.

The district will be meeting again to determine next steps. Most likely a survey of voters will be conducted to gauge interest in a geo-bond measure to raise funds to do the work. Frese is hoping to take the measure to voters in November. “We’ll do site visits and informational meetings to keep the community abreast of what we’re doing. But when you walk through, it’s fairly obvious what could work and what won’t. We’ll know if we’ll be proceeding by the end of May.”