Conf Call Feb07 Mary Spruill Solar Schools
Solar Schools Programs – Successes and Opportunities
About NEED • The National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project was established with a Joint Congressional Resolution and Presidential Proclamation in 1980. • NEED’s Mission is to design and deliver balanced, comprehensive, and timely energy education curriculum and training to classroom teachers and their students. • NEED serves about 47,000 classrooms annually, hosts over 700 teacher training programs and delivers about $4,000,000 in programs and services each year. • NEED programs teach the science of energy, sources of energy, electricity, transportation, and efficiency.
Why Solar Schools? • Entered the solar schools arena about ten years ago in partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. • Currently involved in the support of 130 solar schools in several states. • Schools are centers of the community, centers of learning, and centers of understanding. • Solar installations on schools or as part of a school’s infrastructure spark learning, exhibit solar as a viable option for energy needs, and showcase solar as a technology for safety, security, and more.
Solar Schools – A little bit (or a lot) of everything • Systems sizes and shapes are diverse and often altered for many reasons output, supply, aesthetics • Solar Lollipops (12kw) of polemounted PV – Solar on a Stick •Gridtied or stand alone systems, some UPS •Some small and demonstration, some up to 20kw • DAS installed frequently for many purposes – in most cases, to showcase output, in others to provide local access to comparison data
Not all programs are created equally • Advent in programs about ten years ago for various reasons – public relations, incentives, rebates • Many systems installed for demonstration and for market transformation but abandoned when schools were not engaged •Most successful programs integrated systems into educational programming and created a community of learning around the solar installation •Some programs created to showcase equipment or specific products
Common Challenges • Lack of qualified installers • Poor supply chain for PV modules and equipment • Expense •School bureaucracy and shortsightedness •Perception – Won’t this system help reduce our electricity bills? Perception of the solar industry in general •Lack of longterm commitment to solar
Common Success • Longterm commitment •Acceptance of the system limitations •Integrated with curriculum, training, and handson equipment for inside the classroom (Solar panels don’t teach kids, teachers do.) • Solid agreements with suppliers and a tip in the supply chain opening up new suppliers and increasing capability with decreasing cost
ISOIndependent System Operator A few great examples…
•Program in its 4th year – with 10 installs (1 st ), 20 (2 nd ),30 (3 rd ) and 40 planned for 4 th . 1.2 kw polemounted •Investment in 2007 $2.7 million dollars • 1,000 teachers to be trained in 2007 throughout the service area, all teachers receive $900 of classroom equipment and curriculum • $2,500 and $5,000 grants to schools to enhance solar energy education in the classroom • DAS is authentic and applies to classroom learning
ISOIndependent System Operator
A few great examples…
BP Solar Connection – Chicago and Chicago Suburbs • Program in its 4th year – with 6 installs 6 kw roof mounted • Partnership between BPS to showcase modules and BP Community Relations • 200 teachers trained and provided curriculum and training • DAS is authentic and really applies to classroom learning – program integrates with other NEEDrelated solar schools programs to offer learning between schools across state lines
ISOIndependent System Operator
A few great examples…
Cape Light Compact – Solarize Our Schools • Program in its 1st year – one install in each of Cape Cod’s 20 towns • Curriculum materials and teacher training provided • Energy Efficiency showcased as a bridge to renewables • DAS is authentic and really applies to classroom learning – program integrates with other NEEDrelated solar schools programs to offer learning between schools across state lines
Want a program of your ISOIndependent System Operator own? • Be prepared to find partners, and to get new ones when the project isn’t moving – choose DAS provider and system installers wisely…get references…ask questions. •Remember that schools are unique organisms and what works in the private sector rarely will in a school system •Be prepared to start over •Don’t overpromise – because you will underdeliver the first time out •Consider all options before reinventing the wheel • Connect to the classroom
Solar Schools Programs are not Cheap ISOIndependent System Operator nor Easy….but they are worth it • Take the longview • Make small commitments and pilot the program…then make large commitments and deliver •Find partners to take the “simple things” off the “to do” list • Get buyin early • Capture the vision, hearts, and heads of the Kids and teachers • Help improve teaching and learning • Have fun!
About NEED • The National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project was established with a Joint Congressional Resolution and Presidential Proclamation in 1980. • NEED’s Mission is to design and deliver balanced, comprehensive, and timely energy education curriculum and training to classroom teachers and their students. • NEED serves about 47,000 classrooms annually, hosts over 700 teacher training programs and delivers about $4,000,000 in programs and services each year. • NEED programs teach the science of energy, sources of energy, electricity, transportation, and efficiency.
Why Solar Schools? • Entered the solar schools arena about ten years ago in partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. • Currently involved in the support of 130 solar schools in several states. • Schools are centers of the community, centers of learning, and centers of understanding. • Solar installations on schools or as part of a school’s infrastructure spark learning, exhibit solar as a viable option for energy needs, and showcase solar as a technology for safety, security, and more.
Solar Schools – A little bit (or a lot) of everything • Systems sizes and shapes are diverse and often altered for many reasons output, supply, aesthetics • Solar Lollipops (12kw) of polemounted PV – Solar on a Stick •Gridtied or stand alone systems, some UPS •Some small and demonstration, some up to 20kw • DAS installed frequently for many purposes – in most cases, to showcase output, in others to provide local access to comparison data
Not all programs are created equally • Advent in programs about ten years ago for various reasons – public relations, incentives, rebates • Many systems installed for demonstration and for market transformation but abandoned when schools were not engaged •Most successful programs integrated systems into educational programming and created a community of learning around the solar installation •Some programs created to showcase equipment or specific products
Common Challenges • Lack of qualified installers • Poor supply chain for PV modules and equipment • Expense •School bureaucracy and shortsightedness •Perception – Won’t this system help reduce our electricity bills? Perception of the solar industry in general •Lack of longterm commitment to solar
Common Success • Longterm commitment •Acceptance of the system limitations •Integrated with curriculum, training, and handson equipment for inside the classroom (Solar panels don’t teach kids, teachers do.) • Solid agreements with suppliers and a tip in the supply chain opening up new suppliers and increasing capability with decreasing cost
ISOIndependent System Operator A few great examples…
•Program in its 4th year – with 10 installs (1 st ), 20 (2 nd ),30 (3 rd ) and 40 planned for 4 th . 1.2 kw polemounted •Investment in 2007 $2.7 million dollars • 1,000 teachers to be trained in 2007 throughout the service area, all teachers receive $900 of classroom equipment and curriculum • $2,500 and $5,000 grants to schools to enhance solar energy education in the classroom • DAS is authentic and applies to classroom learning
ISOIndependent System Operator
A few great examples…
BP Solar Connection – Chicago and Chicago Suburbs • Program in its 4th year – with 6 installs 6 kw roof mounted • Partnership between BPS to showcase modules and BP Community Relations • 200 teachers trained and provided curriculum and training • DAS is authentic and really applies to classroom learning – program integrates with other NEEDrelated solar schools programs to offer learning between schools across state lines
ISOIndependent System Operator
A few great examples…
Cape Light Compact – Solarize Our Schools • Program in its 1st year – one install in each of Cape Cod’s 20 towns • Curriculum materials and teacher training provided • Energy Efficiency showcased as a bridge to renewables • DAS is authentic and really applies to classroom learning – program integrates with other NEEDrelated solar schools programs to offer learning between schools across state lines
Want a program of your ISOIndependent System Operator own? • Be prepared to find partners, and to get new ones when the project isn’t moving – choose DAS provider and system installers wisely…get references…ask questions. •Remember that schools are unique organisms and what works in the private sector rarely will in a school system •Be prepared to start over •Don’t overpromise – because you will underdeliver the first time out •Consider all options before reinventing the wheel • Connect to the classroom
Solar Schools Programs are not Cheap ISOIndependent System Operator nor Easy….but they are worth it • Take the longview • Make small commitments and pilot the program…then make large commitments and deliver •Find partners to take the “simple things” off the “to do” list • Get buyin early • Capture the vision, hearts, and heads of the Kids and teachers • Help improve teaching and learning • Have fun!
