Members of the Hope School Board with Superintendent Jonathan Crossley just before the switch was flipped.

Under an overcast sky along Lakeshore Road today, members of the Hope School District Board of Education and executives from Entegrity Partners of Fayetteville ceremonially flipped the switch to start the solar array project working.

On hand for the event was Flint Richter from entegrity, who said the array could supply 1.34 megawatts and 2.5 million kilowatt hours, enough energy to power 220 average homes.

The project will provide students from area schools with the chance to learn in a hands on fashion about the mechanics of harnessing the power of the sun.

Helping pay for the $3 million-plus installation will be Entegrity, funds from the cost savings to the school district and a second-lien district bonds issue.