Solar Panel Is Installed at School
To celebrate emerging technology through education, Central Georgia EMC dedicated a one-kilowatt solar panel at Jasper County High School in Monticello last Thursday. The installation of the demonstration project is part of Green Power EMC’s “SunPower for Schools Program.”
“Green Power EMC’s initiative, SunPower for Schools, educates students about renewable energy and its impact on the environment,” said Central Georgia EMC Manager of Marketing, Christy Chewning.
“We are partnering with Jasper County High School to install this grid-connected photovoltaic system to harness the energy from the sun and provide on-line data monitoring to the classroom.”
This installation at Jasper County High School is the third demonstration project on the Central Georgia EMC system; 32 systems have been installed across Georgia. The Jasper County High School system will be monitored by science teachers, Frank Altschul and Tyson Harty.
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“The solar panel project is important for three reasons,” according to Chewning, “Central Georgia EMC installed this panel for energy and environmental education,” she said. “Through Green Power EMC, we actively seek other means of electric power generation like solar. All of our renewable resource initiatives through Green Power EMC are focused on our concern for the environment.”
“Finally, this project provides valuable education,” Chewning added. “Maybe there will be one student who is inspired to find new energy solutions for our future world based on their experience in this project.”
Solar is considered one of the “green power” initiatives. Typical technologies used to create green power are solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and low-impact hydropower. Biomass includes landfill gas and agriculture wastes. In Georgia, potential green power sources are primarily biomass and solar.
The mission of Green Power EMC, www.greenpower.com, a nonprofit corporation, is to facilitate procurement and marketing of electricity from cleaner, greener Georgia sources, add it to the member-cooperative’s power mix, and build member-owned loyalty by generating awareness about our environmental product offerings and services. The SunPower for Schools project began in 2005.
Members who want to support Central Georgia EMC’s renewable initiative can buy blocks of green power for a small premium of $4.50 per 150 kilowatt-hour blocks per month.
