San Diego Unified School District (Portfolio)

Project Overview

TENCO SOLAR installed a 1.9 MW multi-site solar portfolio for San Diego Unified School District, delivering long-term cost stability and sustainability benefits across 12 schools. The project was designed to provide meaningful onsite generation, long-term cost stability, and measurable emissions reduction as part of the district’s broader sustainability and infrastructure modernization efforts.

• Customer: San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD)
  
• Installer: TENCO SOLAR
• GC: Straight Line General Contractors
  
• System Type: Carport and Rooftop Solar
  
• Sites: 12 campuses across the district
  
• Total System Size: 1.918 MW DC
  
  

Individual site installations ranged from ~88 kW to 258 kW and were coordinated across multiple campuses to form a high-performance distributed solar portfolio.

The Challenge

San Diego Unified operates one of the largest school districts in California, with significant daytime energy loads driven by classrooms, administrative buildings, HVAC systems, and campus facilities. At the same time, SDG&E customers have experienced average rate increases of more than 60 percent over the past five years, creating long-term budget pressure and increasing the financial risk of utility dependence.*

The district needed a solution that could reduce operating costs, stabilize future energy expenses, and align with long-term sustainability goals.

The Solution

TENCO SOLAR installed a portfolio of carport and rooftop solar systems across 12 campuses totaling 1.918 Megawatts of PV Solar. The installations were delivered as part of SDUSD’s voter-approved facilities modernization program, funded through bond measures dating back to 2008 and now representing a billion-dollar-plus districtwide renovation effort impacting 95 of the district’s 220 schools.

The Results

• Estimated Annual Production: ~3.07 million kWh
  
  
• Estimated Annual Utility Savings: ~$1.07M+
  
  
• Transportation Impact Equivalent: ~2.0 million gas car miles offset per year
  
  
• Estimated CO₂ Reduction: ~848 metric tons annually
  
  

By generating clean power onsite, the district reduces exposure to rising SDG&E rates, lowers long-term operating costs, and advances its sustainability objectives.

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