Schools and Solar: What Are the
Benefits?
As parents know, every other note that comes home in a school kids’ folder is a bake sale request or a fundraiser form. The other notes are friendly reminders to clip the pink rectangles off their pantry items that include Box Top for Education initiatives. Each label is a dime toward the school, and every dime counts when it comes to getting new science equipment or uniforms for band.
For an education that is free, parents spend a lot of time
thinking about ways to raise finances for their children’s schools when there
is an option right above their heads: solar power.
Despite the approach to schooling that requires cash from
constant popcorn and wrapping paper sales, it doesn’t seem like municipalities
do all they can to create sustainable and fiscally responsible environments.
Sometimes saving a dime means spending a penny, and solar panels for schools
are a great example of how schools could put money toward things that count,
all while doing a better job of caring for the earth.
Other nations are tackling climate change with solar energy with
more zeal. For them, schools are just the beginning of a nationwide
transformation. Whether federal monies go toward re-vamping schools or creating
new structures, solar energy is the smartest option for educational buildings.
Follow by example –
Canada’s schools and solar power
There is plenty of precedent for how schools can harness solar
polar. The most recent is in Canada. Thirty-six schools in Canada’s Alberta Providence have
been given $9 million to put solar panels on their rooftops.
Understanding that
leveraging solar energy will mean relying on more sustainable sources of
energy, the government sees the money spent as an investment in the
infrastructure of the community.
Another benefit is that, along with fighting climate change,
students learn about sustainable energy. Included in the initiative is the
creation of an app that lets students follow how the panels are doing and see
in real time the impact of cutting carbon emissions.
Understand the
benefits to U.S. schools
There are myriad benefits to investing in solar power that
should encourage U.S. cities and counties to consider solar energy for schools.
Though, they should be an obvious choice for new constructions, most school
roofs are flat — perfect places to lay either photovoltaic or solar thermal
systems. Here are some reasons schools should consider:
Saving Money: Energy
options are available that cut carbon emissions, but not all of them offer
long-term savings. Solar paneling offsets a school’s monthly utility bills, and
for schools in the Northeast and Upper Mid-west, those savings would be
significant. According to one study, the electricity
currently generated from school solar installations is
about $77.8 million each year.
Education: For
future generations to understand the impact of global warning, educating
them is crucial. Consider the example of Alberta: The kids in the school watch
the reduction of carbon, and maybe almost as important, they are a part of the
change. A similar occurrence happened in Chicago, when massive
solar panels where installed in two area schools. The solar panels were a
tangible way the schools’ 2,500 students could learn the difference energy
conservation makes.
Tax Incentives: Public
and private educational facilities are tax-exempt, but many are arguing for
their tax-exempt status to change. Not everything comes down to money, but for
solar energy, it can really save your school’s budget come
April 15 – if the educational facility is a for-profit. With the Investment Tax
Credit, also called the federal solar tax credit, schools can deduct 30 percent
of the installation costs of solar paneling.
Lasting Performance: Solar
panels have a 20-25 year guarantee for up to 80 percent efficiency, but
the actual life span of solar panels is much longer. Unlike other energy
systems, solar panels have no moving parts, which means fewer opportunities to
fail or break down. There is very little maintenance required of solar panels,
and you can count on their reliability.
Infrastructure Stability: Integrating
solar energy into our schools isn’t hard. Very
few changes would need to be made to the
infrastructure of buildings already in place. For government integration of
solar energy, schools make the most sense because the flat roofs of many of
their structures are easy places to install panels.
A Healthier Planet: Science isn’t a mystery — we can leverage it to see real change in the environment. A
painless way to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and slow down the very
real effects of climate change would be for schools to invest in solar energy.
Right now, the
U.S. is only behind China in global carbon dioxide
emissions.
Energy Independence: For
the year 2012, the U.S. depended on imported
fossil fuels for 40 percent of our energy. How
can we unbiasedly be a voice of change for violence in the Middle East when we
have a vested interest in their business? Consider, too, that oil, gas and coal
energy sources are finite – we can’t depend on them forever. Solar energy, on
the other hand, is infinite, stable and less expensive. It also would free up
those finite sources of energy for other uses, when solar energy isn’t an
option.
Leave cookie sales to
the Girl Scouts
Schools shouldn’t need to peddle baked goods to properly educate
the nation’s children. They should consider real methods for cost savings, and
harnessing the power of solar energy is one smart approach. Solar panels for
schools mean more meaningful spending on what matters most
– education.
Bobbi Peterson loves writing and regularly posts on her blog Living Life Green.
She’s also a freelance writer, green living advocate and environmentalist. You
can find more from Bobbi on Twitter.
