TPI to complete work this fall on 2 arrays for Bearden School District

by Jeff Della Rosa ([email protected]) 667 views 

North Little Rock-based solar array installer Today’s Power Inc. (TPI) is building two arrays for Bearden School District in Ouachita County.

Construction is expected to be completed in September. The arrays will provide nearly 90% of the school district’s electricity consumption. The remaining 10% will be provided by utility Entergy.

TPI will build a 226-kilowatt array near Bearden High School and a 195-kilowatt system near the Bearden Elementary School cafeteria. Bearden School District includes parts of Ouachita, Dallas and Calhoun counties.

“The Bearden School District is very proud of the partnership agreement with Today’s Power to develop the first solar panel system for a public school district in South Arkansas, and it is estimated to save the Bearden School District over $25,000 a year in energy costs for the next 20 years,” said Denny Rozenberg, superintendent for the school district.

The system comprises 1,120 solar panels and will generate about 646,000 kilowatt-hours annually.

“TPI is excited to play a role in helping to educate tomorrow’s leaders by lowering the cost of the educational process,” TPI President Michael Henderson said. “The actions taken by the Bearden School Board and leadership team proves they are preparing for the Bearden students/community to be successful.”

TPI is a subsidiary of Little Rock-based utility service cooperative Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc., which is owned by 17 Arkansas electricity distribution cooperatives. Along with solar array construction, TPI offers energy storage systems, electric vehicles and charging stations.