Organic Picks Blog » 2007

Free solar system and better education
December 18, 2007

Posted by CindyW in : For Kids , 5 comments

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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