Students will find a new addition to the quad by the end of first semester: a 6,000-square-foot solar shade structure that, along with the new rooftop solar panels, will generate 15 percent of the school’s energy.

According to Principal Kevin Buchanan, the project costs approximately $300,000, but it will save the district over $700,000 in electricity costs throughout the structure’s 25-year lifespan.

“After 15 years, we’re actually making money off of it,” Buchanan explained. “If it lasts longer than that we’ll continue to cut our energy costs.”

Buchanan said this project will have taken over three years from the original idea to actual realization, as the model went through several different versions before finally being approved by the California Division of State Architecture.

Because of the school’s unique location in a wildfire zone, the district initially tried various other approaches such as roof-like covers called campus awnings to a type of covering made out of fabric that had withstood Australian wildfires.

The structure was originally to be built 20 feet from the gym, but that led to new problems altogether.

“It’s actually like a building. They said it would be part of the gym now which would increase the capacity of the gym,” Buchanan said. “So then you would have to improve all your systems in the gym.”

To avoid this, the school decided to move the shade structures to the quad area where its construction is currently being mapped out.

Buchanan hopes the project will be completed by Jan. 19^th, with the structure going up before winter break and the solar panels installed over the holidays.

Regardless of the completion time, Buchanan and the district are pleased to finally see the construction start and hope the students will be too, once the final project is complete.