School District, FPL Hope to Install Solar Panels on School Rooftops

The Sarasota County School District and Florida Power and Light are looking to install solar panels on the rooftops of many Sarasota County Schools.

Last week, the School Board approved an exclusive license and a right to negotiate agreement with FPL for the solar panels. 

A holdup in the process could be the Florida state legislature. Florida regulates power generated so the state most approve any new projects. There is not timetable when that might happen. 

"The state approves the type of capital projects that FPL can do," said Sarasota County School's director of Facility Services Jody Dumas. 

Until approval from the state, FPL and the district will survey district rooftops to see which are suitable/qualify for the solar panels. 

Dumas said that newer and flat roofs, such as Riverview High, are best suited for the panels, which he said could save the district thousands of dollars every year. 

"When you go up there, you see this giant [electricity] farm and with help from the legislature we can put some solar technology that represents a recurring revenue source," Scott Lempe, district Chief Operating Officer, said at a December school board meeting. 

"The more of this we can do, the more we can generate," Dumas said. "It’s going to directly impact on our operating budget and the fact we are also contributing to a green environment by not burning fuel." 

The school district is hopeful that some of the solar panels would be installed by the beginning of the next fiscal year, which is in July. 

"I think overall, it’s a great collaboration with FPL," Dumas said. "[We are] looking at ways to spend [money] on teachers, classroom books and not on electricity."

"The other issue, we are teaching our students responsible stewardship," school board member Carol Todd said at the December board meeting. "These are the children [that] are the keepers of our environment when we are not here anymore."