arlynton-Montour CARLYNTON SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
The Carlynton School District is moving forward with a major rooftop solar energy project at Carlynton Junior Senior High School. The project represents more than an investment in renewable energy. It is part of the District’ s broader effort to manage long term operating costs, improve its facilities responsibly, and pursue outside funding opportunities that reduce the burden placed on local resources.
In March 2026, the Carlynton Board of School Directors approved a proposal from Pittsburgh based Energy Independent Solutions, LLC, known as EIS Solar, to design and construct a District owned solar photovoltaic system on the Junior Senior High School roof. The current project includes approximately 1,200 solar panels installed across four roof areas. The system will have an estimated capacity of 716 kilowatts of direct-current power and 480 kilowatts of alternating-current power. Once fully operational, the array is projected to generate approximately 904,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity during its first year.
Based on current engineering and financial projections, the solar system could offset approximately 84 % of the electricity currently used at the Junior Senior High School. EIS estimates that the system could produce approximately $ 54,400 in electricity savings during its first year and more than $ 1.8 million in avoided energy costs over 25 years. Actual savings will depend on future utility rates, weather conditions, system performance, maintenance, and other operating factors.
The current solar construction contract is valued at approximately $ 1.41 million. The District is pursuing several separate funding sources and financial benefits intended to reduce the project’ s net cost and strengthen its long term financial return. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has provided preliminary approval for a $ 254,683 Solar for Schools grant. The District also intends to pursue federal elective pay incentives available to qualifying tax exempt governmental entities, including public school districts. These federal incentives could return a significant portion of eligible project costs after the system is placed into service and all applicable federal requirements are satisfied.
The District is also evaluating financing through the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority’ s Solar for Schools Loan Program. The program may provide access to zero-interest financing, subject to final application approval, program requirements, administrative fees, and loan terms. The project may also qualify for a one time Duquesne Light Act 129 solar rebate. The amount of the rebate would be calculated under the utility’ s program requirements based on qualifying energy produced by the system after its first year of service. The final amount will also
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depend on available program funding and the system’ s actual performance.
In addition, the District may receive recurring revenue through the sale of Solar Renewable Energy Credits, commonly referred to as SRECs. One SREC is generally created for each megawatt-hour of qualifying solar electricity generated. The number and value of the credits will depend on the system’ s actual production and market prices, so future SREC revenue cannot be guaranteed.
The state grant, federal elective-pay incentive, utility rebate, potential SREC revenue, and annual electricity savings are separate financial benefits. Together, they are expected to substantially reduce the District’ s long term net cost. Available financing would help manage the timing of project payments and the receipt of those benefits.
Installing a solar array of this size required significant planning beyond simply placing panels on the roof. The existing Junior Senior High School roof was approximately 30 years old and required substantial work before it could support a permanent solar installation. The District evaluated the condition of the roof, the expected life of different roof sections, drainage, structural capacity, warranty protection, and the areas proposed for the solar array. Significant roof restoration and improvement work was undertaken so that the solar panels would not be installed over roof surfaces approaching the end of their useful life. This coordination reduces the likelihood that panels will need to be removed and reinstalled prematurely to complete future roof repairs.
The system will also provide opportunities for student learning. Online performance monitoring is expected to allow the District to track electricity production and system performance in real time. This information can be incorporated into classroom lessons involving science, technology, engineering, mathematics, environmental studies, and financial literacy. The District also plans to share information about the project’ s actual energy generation and financial performance after the system becomes operational. Reporting real results, not just projections, will allow the Board and community to evaluate how the project is performing over time.
Engineering, utility review, equipment procurement, and financing activities are currently underway. Construction and installation will be coordinated around the school calendar, roof requirements, utility approvals, and equipment availability. The current goal is for the system to become operational during late summer 2027.