Solar panels to save money, teach about science and environment

Solar panels to save money, teach about science and environment WESTAVEN — Students, teachers and staffers at Westaven's Quest Academy are content that the school will save a few thousand dollars a year with its new solar panels. Rounds said she believes the solar array will save the school $3,000 to $4,000 per year in power costs. The entryway monitor may not be yet online, so measurements have not begun. "It's a great educational opportunity for students, the staff and also the community,"agen said. Quest Academy's management company, Academia West, applied for the Blue Sky Program grant. "And our kids, and any interested community members who want to learn more, will be a little ahead of others in knowing this information that may be so important in the future. Grant writer Bonnieagen said the solar panels have been a big hit in another school the company manages, Early Light Academy in South Jordan. "By using the solar panels, it saves our schools thousands of dollars, and we get the opportunity to help you the community understand sustainable energy. More than 35,600 Utah residents and businesses participate in the Blue Sky program, according to Rocky Mountain Power, which also is the nation's second-largest utility owner of wind-powered electric-generating resources. The solar panels at Quest Academy, which teaches kindergarten through eighth-grade, are expected to generate nearly 18,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The project, which includes an informational monitor and 44 solar panels on the roof of the school's main building, was funded by a $58,542 grant from Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky Program, which allows customers to donate by checking a box on their power bill. "Our science teachers will be ready to talk about how solar power is generated and get our kids giving serious consideration to alternative energy sources for the future," said Principal Lani Rounds. ". "Data will be used in math class, and little bits of information will work their way through our entire curriculum. "They fit a monitor at the entryway of the school, and there is real-time data of how much power is being generated, how many trees are increasingly being saved, how much carbon dioxide is being avoided. "Grants are limited, and it's exciting to be chosen," Rounds said. Solar panels to save money, teach about science and environment Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 01/03/2012