Northeast Early College High School in Montebello officials and students celebrated completion of a $1.5 million solar carport project Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting.

The project is expected to create $200,000 in annual energy bill credits that will be donated to Denver Public Schools families in need. Participating families could save as much as $700 a year on average.

Funded by Denver’s Climate Protection Fund through a 0.25% local sales and use tax approved by Denver residents in 2020, the project is one of 11 community solar gardens planned as part of the Renewable Denver Community Solar Initiative.

The initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions and provide economic, social, and environmental benefits to the community, including EV chargers and solar canopies around the city, creating job training programs in clean energy and student engagement programs to inspire future climate leaders.

“The work is far from done,” DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero said. “We’ll continue to put our students first and actively seek opportunities to meet our shared sustainability goals as a district. We will prioritize the initiatives that lead to a brighter future for each and every student. We will continue to emphasize the need for education that nurtures the entire child and provide lifetime support both while students are in our schools and those who have yet to enter our halls.”

Northeast Early College provides unique opportunities in a highly structured learning environment that emphasizes rigorous academics, technology, workforce readiness and project-based learning activities. Students can earn a full college associate degree on campus — often graduating from college before receiving their high school diploma. The school, which opened around 2014, has 572 students, Principal Jennifer Warren said.

“For the class of 2023, we had 17 students graduated from the Community College of Aurora 10 days before our high school diploma ceremony,” Warren told The Denver Gazette.

LeeAnn Kittle, DPS director of sustainability, said the carports will facilitate the integration of renewable energy into the school’s curriculum. While students did not work on the project, they will be involved going forward, she said.

The school district has been working towards reducing energy consumption since 2009, according to Kittle, with initiatives such as a district-wide LED upgrade. The majority of Denver Public Schools operate on natural gas, but they are moving towards electrification.

The solar carport is part of Renewable Denver’s community solar garden portfolio, which is expected to produce about 10 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity each year.

McKinstry, a national engineering and construction firm and a long-time energy partner for both the City and County of Denver and Denver Public Schools, is designing and deploying each of the 11 community solar gardens.

“McKinstry takes great pride in our efforts to support Denver in its equitable transition to a zero-carbon future while strengthening STEM education opportunities,” said Leslie Larocque, senior vice president at McKinstry on its website. “The residents of our city have made it clear that community resiliency and environmental equity is essential to our future, paving the way for new partnerships to accelerate renewable energy as a force for positive change and fiscal responsibility.”