A plan that shines in the United States
Students at Rincon High School in Tucson (Arizona, United States) decided to test their city’s climate by planting carrots in the middle of summer. Its location, between several mountains in the Sonoran Desert, one of the largest and hottest in the world, made many think that the plan was unfeasible.
However, the harvest paid off. The students took advantage of the shade provided by the photovoltaic panels installed at their school to plant the vegetables, which grow in cooler climates. Otherwise, they would have scorched under the hot desert sun.
Today, one in ten public schools in the United States has solar panels that, in addition to facilitating experiments like this one, generate free, renewable and non-polluting energy. Many of these schools are in low-income neighborhoods, so they take advantage of the economic savings to reduce costs for students and the community.
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MORE SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS
In 2015, several public schools across the country began a plan to harness solar energy. Seven years later, 9% of the nation’s schools (some 8400 K-12 schools, those spanning elementary and secondary education) have solar panels on their facilities. As a result, more than six million students are enrolled in schools where much or all of the energy used is renewable.
The 1644 megawatts installed in these schools generate the energy needed to power 300 000 homes each year and prevent the emission of 1.56 tons per year of carbon dioxide (CO₂, one of the main greenhouse gases causing climate change).
These are data from the report ‘Brighter Future: A Study on Solar in U.S. K-12 Schools’ prepared by Generation180, a non-profit organization that inspires to take action and support the transition to non-polluting energies. Among other activities, the organization analyzes the adoption of solar energy in U.S. K-12 schools.
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“With nearly 50 million students attending more than 130,000 K-12 schools, the U.S. education sector plays a significant role in addressing the climate crisis and transitioning to a 100 percent clean energy future,” they explain in their report. According to their estimates, powering all U.S. K-12 schools with solar energy would prevent the emission of 60 million tons of CO₂ each year. It would be equivalent to shutting down 16 coal-fired power plants.
ECONOMIC SUPPORT FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE
Although access to financing is one of the main difficulties in installing solar panels in schools, the Generation180 report notes that many schools in underprivileged areas have had the capacity to do so. Currently, 40% of the more than six million young people studying in solar-powered schools come from low-income families.
With the money they save on electricity, the schools pay for everything from school supplies for students to part of the teachers’ salaries. In some cases, projects have been created that benefit the entire community. For example, the North Community High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, offers disadvantaged families access to the energy it generates.
Currently, 65 homes already have access to their own solar panel thanks to the initiative. “This is very important and empowering for communities that are often left behind in many ways,” said Kristel Porter, executive director of Minnesota Renewable Now.
ENERGY SAVINGS AND SHADY GARDENS
As fall came to a close in Tucson, the students harvested their carrot crop and demonstrated that solar panels can also create a microclimate different from that of the desert. The school has a garden that takes advantage of what are known as agrovoltaic practices, those that use the land for the mutual benefit of solar energy and agriculture.
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In this case, the panels shade the plants so that they can grow despite the high temperatures. In addition, the vegetation itself generates a more humid environment that contributes to the cooling of the panels and helps them operate more efficiently. Another example of an agrovoltaic practice, they note in the Generation180 report, is raising sheep and other grazing animals in fields with solar power installations. They take care of the low grass and prevent it from ending up covering the panels.
Thanks to their garden, Rincon High School students also have the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Arizona conducting research. In addition to testing new crops, they have compared garden temperatures with other areas of the school, studied how the shape of the panels can affect plantings, and analyzed whether rainwater collected by the panels is better or worse for irrigation.
“Schools have a mission to prepare students for a bright future,” says Generation180. By switching to clean energy sources, they teach our youth and communities how to achieve a stable climate and a healthy planet.”
Source: https://www.nobbot.com/futuro/paneles-solares-colegios-estados-unidos/
