5500 Schools Use Solar Power in US as Costs Fall

According to a report prepared by the Solar Foundation, Generation 180 and the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar power in K-12 schools has increased by 86 percent in three years.

More than 5,500 American schools have incorporated solar technology with a total capacity of 910 megawatts, enough to power 190,000 homes, according to the study.

According to a report prepared by the Solar Foundation, Generation 180 and the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar power in K-12 schools has increased by 86 percent in three years.

As per the reports, States with the most schools using solar energy are Nevada at 23 percent; Hawaii and California, 15 percent; Arizona, 14 percent; and New Jersey, 13 percent.

Georgia has about 35 schools that have solar technology, including Huntington Middle and Thomson Middle in Houston County and Putnam County High School.

Terra McMillan, the school’s science chairwoman and coordinator, said, “It’s actually powering some of the lights in our gym. We wanted to install it because right now Georgia is becoming a huge hub for solar farms. We want to get a jump start on training our students for those jobs.”

Sixth-graders work the most with the solar panel since non-renewable energy is part of the curriculum, McMillan said. They look at data online from the solar panel in real time. It’s important for students to see from an early age how pivotal this energy source can be in their lives, Stephens said.

“Looking at alternative energy resources is very important, especially for their generation when they become adults,” McMillan said. “This generation needs to be the generation to look at solar panels to see how to make them more efficient.”

Source: The Manila Times