Centralia College Gets $189,000 Grant for Solar Energy System

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Centralia College has received a $189,000 grant from the Centralia Coal Transition Energy Technology Board to help fund the construction of a 56-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on the roof of the Kirk Library.

The low-maintenance, roof-mounted system will produce more than 1.5 million kilowatt hours of energy in its 30-plus year life, according to a press release.

The grant is the second one to be awarded by the energy technology board, one of three boards tasked with allocating $55 million over 10 years to ease the impacts as TransAlta shifts away from coal. The money was donated by TransAlta.

The college also has $151,000 in matching funds from the Department of Commerce for the project, as well as Centralia City Light electrical energy incentives, Puget Sound Energy natural gas incentives and college funding.

It is estimated the system will save 1,054 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the air, the equivalent to the CO2 from an average car driving over 2.86 million miles, according to the release.

The renewable electrical energy produced will reduce carbon dioxide emissions, help offset purchased power and lower ongoing energy bills for the next 30 to 40 years. 

“The purpose of the Energy Technology Board is to support projects in Washington state that benefit clean energy, air quality or the environment,” Bob Guenther, chairman of the board, said. “It’s exciting for the board to be able to support this solar project. The project not only reduces emissions, it’s sustainable, lowers energy costs for the college, requires little maintenance and will provide enhanced learning for students.” 

The system will save more than $200,000 during its life and will generate half of the electricity needed for the library.



“This project supports the college’s sustainability goals and will be a point of pride for the college and the community,” Steve Ward, vice president of administration, said. “It will also provide an opportunity for learning with the internet-tied monitoring system that allows the public to see the net energy production and consumption of the facility.”

The system is expected to be installed and operational by the end of June. It will be incorporated into the college’s energy and science courses. 

Centralia College was founded in 1925 and is the oldest continuously operating community college in Washington. It has an enrollment of nearly 4,000 students. The college is home to the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy, which has been successful in developing partnerships with industry for the placement of graduates from the energy program.

“Centralia College is extremely excited about this project,” Ward said.  

The energy technology board has so far given $226,810 through its two grant awards. The other grant was awarded to Twin Transit to support the installation of a charging center. In all, the board has $25 million to award.

The two other boards are the economic and community development board and the weatherization board. The boards have a budget of $20 million and $10 million, respectively. 

Annual payments for the funding boards have been made for the past four years with the last payment due in Dec. 31, 2023. The opportunity to start using the money for projects became available in Dec. 31, 2015.