A lot has changed at Reed High School since I was a student there. Of course, after nine years you expect a few things to be different: new faces, new computers in the lab, maybe a new course offering or two. But last fall, Reed made a big change to its campus, and it’s one that is hard to miss. Northern Nevada’s Hamilton Solar recently installed a massive one-megawatt solar power system that spans the majority of Reed’s east parking lot. As an added benefit, these structures act as carports that keep student and faculty vehicles out of the weather and in the shade. As part of the same project, Hamilton Solar has also installed an equally impressive 500-kilowatt structure at North Valleys High School. Paid for in full by NV Energy’s Solar Generations program, the installations are expected to save the Washoe County School District $270,000 annually. This project demonstrates the Triple Bottom Line perfectly: by utilizing local resources and leveraging green businesses, the School District will have more money in its coffers for educators and their students.
These installations also offer a unique learning opportunity. To introduce students to their new solar powered systems, Envirolution™ will be partnering with Hamilton Solar this spring to provide energy efficiency and solar energy curriculum to the environmental science classes at Reed and North Valleys. The goal of this curriculum is to engage students in the fundamentals of energy and building science, enabling them to understand how a combination of efficiency upgrades and solar power can reduce utility costs, cut carbon emissions, and revitalize the local economy. Over the course of the unit, students will be experimenting with solar cells, learning the ins and outs of solar design, and competing with their classmates to build the best solar oven.
Nine years ago I could have hardly imagined my school being affiliated with renewable energy technology, but today that is fast becoming a reality for many of our local schools. High Desert Montessori School has a solar project in development, and the Sustainable Resources Academy at Wooster High School will be offering a program of study in Renewable Energy next fall. A lot has changed in the Washoe County School District and in these cases, change is good.
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