Story Photos
 Toutle Lake High School student Evan Bean shows off the school's new solar energy panels Wednesday. Roger Werth / The Daily News
|
Schools help promote renewable energy with new solar systems
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 11:57 PM PDT
By Barbara LaBoe
Printable version
E-mail this articleTOUTLE — As president of the Toutle Lake High School Ecology Club, senior Evan Bean is all about the environment — including promoting renewable energy. The club runs recycling programs at the school, cleans a portion of Spirit Lake Memorial Highway and clears non-native invasive plant species to stop their spread. And now, his school is one of two in Cowlitz County to host a demonstration solar electricity system.
Toutle Lake and Longview’s Wake Robin Learning Center both recently received the one-kilowatt solar electric systems at their buildings. In addition to the systems, the schools received educational material, teacher training and an interactive kiosk that lets students track exactly how much electricity their solar panels are producing.
Bean, though, hopes what’s really generated is an increased interest in alternative energy.
“I hope this sheds some light on alternative energy for Toutle Lake High School and the whole Toutle community,” he said Wednesday when the panels were officially dedicated.
The solar panel costs roughly $20,000 for parts, installation and support, including the educational training for teachers. While they do generate energy — about 1,000 kilowatt-hours per year — it won’t make a noticeable dent in the school’s electricity bill. Science teacher and project organizer John Brugman estimates it will save the district about 5 to 6 cents an hour.
Instead, the goal is to raise awareness.
“It is my hope that this small, highly visible sustainable energy project may plant some seeds of change in the minds of our Toutle students,” Brugman said. “Just the math and figuring out the energy costs and what power is all about is great for the kids. It’s a great tool.”
The panels are provided through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Solar 4R Schools program and a partnership with the Cowlitz PUD. The panels are paid for with the renewable energy “green tags” that 100 area residential and corporate customers voluntary buy from utility companies to support the creation of renewable energy projects in the region.
There are nearly 100 such school demonstration systems in 16 states, but these two are the first in Cowlitz County. Schools must apply for the program and have district support for the project.
Officials said schools are the perfect site for such programs because they’re visible to the entire community and allow students to learn about new technologies and jobs while planning for college.
“There are all sorts of great job opportunities (in renewable energy) and opportunities to make a lot of money in addition to caring for the environment and having fun,” Randy Batchelor told Toutle math and science students during a dedication Wednesday. Batchelor is the BEF’s renewable energy project coordinator.
Bean is graduating Saturday, so he won’t get to participate in the programs Brugman has planned for the solar panel next year. That is a bit sad, but Bean added the system is a wonderful graduation present for himself and the other Ecology Club seniors.
“For me the most important thing is the exposure to this technology and a chance to get people interested,” he said. “We’re a small place so we don’t always get a lot of opportunities like this.”
KelsoLesbian wrote on Jun 5, 2008 7:31 AM:
Loowit wrote on Jun 5, 2008 8:22 AM:
Toutle Mom wrote on Jun 5, 2008 9:30 AM:
Stella wrote on Jun 5, 2008 9:43 AM:
UW Squirrels wrote on Jun 5, 2008 11:51 AM:
Caddyshack wrote on Jun 5, 2008 11:53 AM:
Stella wrote on Jun 5, 2008 12:29 PM:
Winlock Dad wrote on Jun 5, 2008 3:32 PM:
Past Month's Most Commented Stories