Moniteau School District | West Sunbury, PA

School District

• 1,147 students across two schools

Solar Installation

• Largest K-12 solar energy producer in western Pennsylvania

• Moniteau Jr./Sr. High School:
  916 kW rooftop array, 70% electricity offset

• Dassa McKinney Elementary School:
  1,040 kW ground-mounted array, 100% electricity offset

Solar Financing

• Power purchase agreement (PPA) with BAI Group

Energy Cost Savings

• $2.1 million over 25 years

In 2024, Moniteau School District (MSD) became the largest K-12 solar energy producer in western Pennsylvania. With nearly 3,000 solar panels (1.9 megawatts) installed at two school campuses, the district expects to save $2.1 million in energy costs over the next 25 years.

Upgrades that paved the way

Facilities manager Jeffrey Campbell, a former electrician and residential solar installer, led the charge at the district to go solar. Campbell first built a reputation for bringing money-saving ideas to the district. He led the MSD through major water conservation efforts, such as installing dual-flush toilets, that reduced daily water use from 20,000 gallons per day (gpd) to as low as 3,000 gpd. His drive to cut costs and improve efficiency laid the groundwork for cost-cutting energy upgrades.

Next, Campbell ensured that every fluorescent light and ballast in the district was replaced with efficient LED fixtures, including the lights at the football stadium. The district cut energy consumption by installing an energy management system to automate HVAC scheduling and motion sensors throughout classrooms. Reducing the district’s energy demand set the stage for a successful solar project that can power most of the schools’ electricity needs.

Getting to solar

Campbell was ready to move forward with his next money-saving idea, and he saw solar energy as a logical solution to curb the rising electricity bills and avoid costly peak demand charges. However, Campbell had to get support from the school board and work through challenges with stakeholders to move the project forward. The district faced early roadblocks navigating interconnection hurdles and negotiating with the rural electric cooperative on solar capacity limits based on grid capacity. MSD spent time interviewing solar providers and reviewing Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). With Campbell’s leadership on the project, the school board eventually agreed to move forward with a solar power purchase agreement with BAI Group, a third-party ownership model that enables the district to go solar with no upfront capital costs.

“It sounded too good to be true, which made it challenging to pitch at first. However, we were persistent, and eventually the board was all in after recognizing the savings and educational benefits for the students.”

Jeffrey Campell, Director of Buildings/Grounds/Transportation, Moniteau School District

Leading by example

Moniteau School District’s two solar arrays became operational in 2024—a 1.04 MW ground array at Dassa McKinney Elementary School in West Penn Power utility territory and a 916 kW rooftop at the high school in Central Electric Cooperative utility territory.

The two solar arrays provide 90–95% of the school district’s electricity needs and are projected to provide a lifetime energy savings of $2.1 million. Currently, MSD is saving $12,000 -$15,000 per month at the high school alone.

Once the significant electricity bill savings were realized, initial community skepticism quickly turned into excitement. MSD used newsletters and board meetings to communicate openly about the process and the payoffs. Other districts in western Pennsylvania, a region known for oil and gas extraction, have taken notice and asked Moniteau leaders to speak at their board meetings and share insights.

Moniteau School District has plans to reap more benefits of clean energy. The district is already looking into expanding the ground-mounted solar array and adding battery storage at its school sites, and considering options to use solar and storage to power the district’s wastewater treatment plant.

IMAGE CREDIT: Moniteau High School, West Sunbury, PA | Credit: BAI Group