Antinuclear

Solar enlightenment in the classroom

solar energy also can provide value beyond cost savings for schools, as an educational tool. At Rosa Parks Elementary in Berkeley, Calif., students race solar-powered cars, operate a solar-powered decorative fountain and participate in an annual solar fair. Officials of the Berkeley Unified School District say that while children are learning hands-on about renewable energy, the $45,000 in annual savings the district expects to achieve with installations on two schools so far
will help offset budget cuts.

The Enlightened Classroom, THE JOURNAL REPORT: INNOVATIONS IN ENERGY, June 18, 2012, School districts are using solar power to cut their energy bills—and cope with budget cutsm, WSJ,   By JIM CARLTON Solar power has long been touted for its environmental impact. But now it has a new role: saving teachers’ jobs. School districts across the country are turning to solar power to cut their electricity costs.

With the money they’re saving, they are able to retain more teachers and programs in the face of budget cuts. As a bonus, some schools are using solar installations to teach kids about renewable energy.

More than 500 K-12 schools in 43 states have installed solar panels, many of them over the past three years as solar-power costs have fallen by more than one-third, according to estimates by the Solar
Energy Industries Association, a trade group in Washington, D.C., and
GTM Research, a Greentech Media Inc. unit in Boston.

“It really is one of the fastest-growing markets and probably will
have the most impact in our society, because it will put money back
into more teachers and expand education,” says Rhone Resch, president
and chief executive officer of the Solar Energy Industries
Association.
Solar power now is often cheaper than the retail cost of electricity.
In California, for example, solar power costs 11 to 12 cents per
kilowatt-hour, versus about 17 to 24 cents for retail power. A
kilowatt-hour is roughly the amount of electricity it takes to light
one classroom for one hour……

SunPower Corp., of San Jose, Calif., is installing a total of 30
megawatts of solar-power capacity at K-12 schools in the state, which
leads the nation in solar installations in part because of its
long-standing subsidy program. “All told, California schools are
expected to save $1.5 billion over the next 30 years through the use
of on-site solar-power systems,” says SunPower spokeswoman Ingrid
Ekstrom…..
solar energy also can provide value beyond cost savings for schools, as an educational tool. At Rosa Parks Elementary in Berkeley, Calif., students race solar-powered cars, operate a solar-powered decorative fountain and participate in an annual solar fair. Officials of the Berkeley Unified School District say that while children are learning hands-on about renewable energy, the $45,000 in annual savings the district expects to achieve with installations on two schools so far
will help offset budget cuts.

“I think it’s a no-brainer,” says William Huyett, superintendent of
the 9,500-student district across the bay from San Francisco.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303674004577433930635426386.html

June 18, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized