Since then, about 30 other school districts in the area have adopted solar power, he said.
Tish Tablan, Program Director Generation 180, said Solar’s normalization was particularly strong when it came to public schools. “When schools move to solar power, students learn about it, talk to parents, and families are inspired,” she said. “We are seeing a ripple effect across the community.”
She said it is essential that schools are self-sufficient and resilient, as they often serve as hubs for communities in a growing climate emergency. After wildfires and deadly landslides devastated Santa Barbara County, California in early 2018, school districts began installing microgrids with solar installations and battery storage. School board member Laura Capps said that when the project is complete, her 94% of the district’s energy will come from renewable sources.
In the Borough of Eatontown, New Jersey, superintendent Scott McKew says his school district needs to replace its heating and ventilation systems in the face of losing $2.4 million in state funding over seven years. said. The company sold his $4.6 million in bonds to cover the cost of energy upgrades such as lighting and solar installation renovations. This will cover his 80-90% of the school building’s energy needs and the cost of 26 new his HVAC units without using taxpayer funds.
McCue said solar panels could also help school curricula. 2020 New Jersey Department of Education Adopt new standards Demand that climate change be taught in public schools. McCue said the new solar array will be used as a teaching tool in the field. “This is an excellent practice that teaches students not only how solar energy can benefit the planet and the environment, but how it can also directly benefit consumers if the project is done right.” It’s a method,” he said.
Back in Batesville, Arkansas, Hester said the school district’s solar array had a completely unexpected effect, drawing onlookers to what he described as “the sexiest thing we’ve ever done.” said to have had the effect of middle school and high school. The towering, sprawling airport offers shelter from the rain and sun, and Batesville may be the closest, at least in appearance, to an international airport.
Once the canopy was up, many of the people, many decades past high school, started coming in after hours and on weekends to take pictures with them, Hester said. “It’s gone crazy,” said Hester.