Northside ISD has received the first Bill Sinkin Solar Energy Award from the city of San Antonio for the massive solar panel project at the Northside Aquatics Center.
The award recently was presented to NISD as part of the city's Green Buildings Awards.
Last year, 82 solar panels, each about six feet tall, were installed on the roof of the Aquatics Center. The solar panels collect enough sunlight to help heat the Olympic-sized pool, which contains 300,000 gallons of water.
The solar panel project cost about $591,000 but reduces the District's dependency on a natural resource and will save about $26,000 a year in utility costs. Over the next 30 years, the solar panels are projected to save the District about $1 million in natural gas costs, based on conservative estimates and current gas prices.
The size and scope of the solar panel project for hot water is unique to San Antonio, said Bill Peters of the District's Facilities & Operations Department, who wrote the nomination.
"To our knowledge, nothing on this scale has been achieved in this area," he said. "The nomination practically wrote itself."
Architects and engineers on the project included Goetting & Associates, Persyn Engineering, and Roof Tech.
The solar panel project is part of NISD's comprehensive energy management system, which has saved the District more than $20 million since 1990.
