Free solar system and better education
December 18, 2007
Posted by CindyW in : For Kids , trackback
English, Math, Music, History, Science – all common part of the curriculum for a K-12 school. Can environment and alternative energy be integrated into the curriculum too? The German International School of Silicon Valley (GISSV) thinks so decidedly.
Early this year, GISSV started such an education focused plan – what better ways to teach children about alternative energy than having solar panels on the roof of their classrooms and using solar energy to power the classrooms. The school, led by Ms. Oelschlaegel, patiently researched and looked for a photovoltaic (PV) system vendor who would be willing to offer a system to the school at no cost. A few months later, their effort came to fruition. Phoenix Solar donated an 18 kWp photovoltaic system to GISSV. Other vendors that offered free services included Xantrex and Solar City.
A month ago the system was up and running. It is to provide 34% of the school’s annual electricity demand and avoid 17 tons of carbon dioxide every year.
Ms. Oelschlaeger told me that the students were involved during the entire installation process and were very excited when the system was brought alive. Now besides generating green electricity, the PV system supports the school’s efforts to integrate alternative energy into their curriculum. It demonstrates to the students that the time has come to restructure our electricity supply from conventional energy sources to sustainable renewable energy sources.
When asked if there are any unexpected results from the solar system implementation, Ms. Oelschlaeger, who was often mild-mannered, exuded much delight and pride. The concept of conservation has surprisingly spilled over to other areas of interests. Students are much more enthusiastic about recycling – bottles, cans, class room scrap paper… The parents are asking what else they can do to help with conservation efforts and environmental causes.
I applaud GISSV for integrating green energy into their curriculum and for creatively finding free resources to implement their goals. Bravo Ms. Oelschlaeger!
Lucky students.
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Comments»
How wonderful. Let’s hope that more and more schools follow the German School’s lead. Our kids will need all the info they can about alternative energy, the composing pig you guys mentioned and so on.
I found it interesting that in this valley of high-technology, it took a German school to figure out a creative way to educate its kids while getting a solar system for free. Good for them. California public schools aren’t gonna do it - imagine all the red tapes. But what about all those private schools that charge $15-$25k a year? They surely can get this type of initiative off the ground. I wonder if it has something to do with the German education system.
Wow, this is fabulous! Thanks for sharing this wonderful story. It is actually perfect timing for bolstering the notion of the program that I am hoping to propose for Atherton tomorrow! I especially loved reading how it came together through the efforts of the whole school, including the administration, the teachers who are integrating conservation lessons and the students.
I love reading stories like this. Interestingly, Germany is by far the world’s leader in solar adoption with over 50% of the market for solar panels to date. The reason is the government’s aggressive incentives for solar and because utilities have to PAY individuals for excess energy they produce. Now everyone is a utility! Great stuff.
I’m trying to get more people in the Bay area to adopt solar via http://www.Solar4SF.org - it’s an independent site offering easy-to-understand info about solar.
This was a good lesson for all. That if we all work together we all can live with peace that there is a better tomorrow for our kids. I also believe that,” We The People” need to take a stand for a better tomorrow not only for ourselves but of those around us.