Center Grove Community School Corporation is planning to heavily invest in renewable energy. The Center Grove School Board approved a $17 million guaranteed energy savings contract—CMTA’s first performance contract in the state of Indiana! The contract will not only reduce the district’s utility costs, but it will also make the district home to the first two net zero schools in Indiana. The project is guaranteed to save the district $22 million over the next 20 years.
CMTA’s Energy Solutions team spent several months surveying lighting control systems and solar potential to develop this project. The project will allow the district to free up utility and maintenance costs and use the savings to both pay off the project and fund future renovations.
Several schools and facilities will be equipped with rooftop and ground mount solar, including Center Grove High School, Center Grove Middle School Central, two elementary schools, and the district’s planned employee wellness center. The project will also recommission existing solar at Walnut Grove Elementary to make them more energy efficient.
Additionally, Maple Grove Elementary will receive a geothermal HVAC renovation that is expected to save nearly 1 million kWh of electricity and $144,555. The guaranteed savings contract could make Sugar Grove Elementary and Maple Grove Elementary the first net zero energy schools in the state.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for this school district to put two schools and kind of take them off the board from an energy perspective where they’re going to be producing the same or more than they use,” CMTA’s Jon Gasser said. “It’s a really big deal...Those are 20+-year-old schools and to take them off the grid is a very big deal and something that the district should be really proud of.”