State Grant Funded Solar Project Continues at Woodland Elementary

Summer construction is moving full speed ahead at Woodland Elementary, and this week brought some impressive sights to campus. Crews and a large crane were onsite lifting roofing materials onto the building as part of preparations for the schools' upcoming solar energy installation.  

The roofing improvements are an important step in the project, helping to protect the building and provide a stable, long-lasting foundation for the solar panels that will be installed later this summer. Students may be away for break, but progress is happening every day as crews work to transform Woodland into the first school in the Puyallup School District to receive a large-scale solar installation.  

Funded through a $1.7 million grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce Energy Division, the project will install a 221.4-kilowatt rooftop solar array at no cost to local taxpayers. Once operational, the system will allow Woodland to generate a portion of its electricity from renewable energy and is expected to offset approximately 184 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.  

McKinstry, the district’s PowerED Energy Management partner, oversees the project from design through completion. In addition to energy-saving benefits, the solar array will provide future learning opportunities for students by connecting classroom lessons in science, engineering and environmental stewardship to a real-world renewable energy system on their campus.  

We’re excited to see the progress taking shape and look forward to sharing more updates throughout this summer as this landmark project continues.  

To learn more about the district’s PowerED Energy Management program visit Http://www.puyallupsd.org/energy