How Warwick Public Schools Put Solar on Three Campuses

Public school districts run on tight budgets with limited flexibility. Energy costs are a fixed obligation spread across every building on every campus — lights, HVAC, cafeterias, gyms — and they come due regardless of what else is competing for funds that year. Warwick Public Schools wanted to address that cost across three of its campuses.

In 2024, Newport Renewables installed 460 kW of solar across three Warwick schools using a combination of rooftop arrays and carports. The project was financed through a tax-exempt lease, a financing solution designed to help state and local governments access essential infrastructure needed to sustain their communities. Rhode Island's direct-pay incentive allowed the district to capture the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit directly.

The Financial Picture

After the 30% direct-pay ITC and REGrowth incentives, the district's effective cost came down to $702,000. Annual savings across the three campuses come to $82,000, putting the simple payback at 8.6 years. Over 25 years, the projected net savings to the education budget is $2.04 million.

That's $2.04 million that stays in the district rather than going towards utility bills.