• Northeast Early College High School | Photo Credit: McKinstry

Northeast Early College High School 

District: Denver Public Schools

Location: Denver, Colorado

Solar Installation: 310 kW solar parking canopy

• Participates in Renewable Denver Community Solar Program

• Currently serves 5 Denver Public Schools family households (11% of the subscriptions to the solar array)

• Saving an estimated 64% off their household electricity costs

An innovative partnership between City of Denver, Denver Public Schools (DPS), and Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) models how community solar can serve both educational institutions and local communities. In 2020, the City of Denver passed a ballot initiative to raise local sales tax by 0.25% to create the Climate Protection Fund (CPF), which invests $40 million annually in community projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support community members most harmed by climate change.

With funding from the CPF, DPS installed a 310 kW solar parking canopy at Northeast Early College High School, a host site for one of 15 community solar gardens within the Denver Community Solar Program, designed to serve DPS families. The school was chosen as a site for the opportunity to serve DPS families and to integrate solar energy into the curriculum. 

Currently, 72 DPS families are subscribed to the Renewable Denver Community Solar Program at no cost, collectively saving over $63,000 annually and reducing their electricity costs by 64%, according to EOC, who manages the subscriptions to the Denver Community Solar Gardens. The subscription size is determined by the household’s location, average energy use, and income, ensuring that the program is equitable and needs-based.

Over the next year, five more DPS high schools will be community solar sites that receive solar panels as well as electric vehicle chargers. 100% of the energy generated from these sites will be donated to Denver Public School families to provide relief off their energy bills.Once fully developed, the Denver Community Solar Program will serve approximately 450 local families. 

Participants have expressed gratitude for the program, with one subscriber noting, “Thanks to this program, and the money I have been saving [from community solar], I have been able to buy more food for my family.” Another shared, “I am very thankful to this program …and that it’s helping families like mine. Especially, in this summer that has been very hot, the A/C is used more. …This has been very helpful in keeping our bill affordable.”

“Thanks to this program, and the money I have been saving [from community solar], I have been able to buy more food for my family.”

–Subscriber of Denver Community Solar Program

The new solar array at Northeast Early College High School is also providing benefits to the district and the students. Northeast Early College High School is subscribed to 19 kW of the onsite array, as well as arrays at eight other DPS sites, for a total of 247 kW of solar energy that saves the district $2,500 annually in electricity costs. By participating in the Renewable Denver Community Solar Program, the district is guaranteed energy cost savings by paying a subscription price that is fixed at 10% lower than the bill credit.

The solar arrays support student learning and are integrated into the educational curriculum. The school has a sustainability pathway that teaches students the basics of sustainability concepts and introduces them to careers within the field. Additionally, the school is host to the district’s Renewable Energy Academy, which teaches high school students about careers in renewable energy and gives them an opportunity to gain basic solar installation skills needed to get hired in the solar industry. Having solar on-site for both of these educational programs will engage students in hands-on projects related to solar and solar shade structures, with opportunities to analyze real-time data and explore the environmental impact of the built environment. This initiative aims to inspire students and normalize clean energy education from an early age.

Northeast Early College High School Solar Carport | Photo Credit: McKinstry

The collaboration between DPS and the City of Denver on the Denver Community Solar Program not only benefits students and their families, but also strengthens the community by providing essential resources to those who need them most. This initiative demonstrates how local governments and school districts can work together to meet collective goals and to foster hope and resilience in the face of climate challenges.

“My hope is that this unique partnership serves as a model for others to replicate as the need for a healthier, brighter, and more just world for all becomes more urgent,” said LeeAnn Kittle, Executive Director of Sustainability at Denver Public Schools. 

“My hope is that this unique partnership serves as a model for others to replicate as the need for a healthier, brighter, and more just world for all becomes more urgent.

–LeeAnn Kittle, Executive Director of Sustainability at Denver Public Schools.