Elementary school goes solar

Top of the World Elementary now generates 40% of its energy from the sun.Students at Top of the World Elementary can now watch clean energy being generated right on campus.

Three solar panels have been installed on the roof of the school, making it the first in the district to be partly powered by renewable energy. The installation was completed in September.

District superintendent Theresa Daem conceived of and pushed for the project, which was funded with a grant from the California Energy Commission.

Daem started the push for solar panels several years ago, according to Eric Jetta, director of facilities and grounds.

Jetta said that he was the person who finally got funding for the project.

“When I came on board in 2003, they had already applied for the grant, and it was tabled for lack of funding,” he said. “When I came they told me to revive the project, and I did.”

He reapplied, got the money and hired Borrego Solar Systems, a San Diego-based company, to do the job.

“They’re a pretty good company,” Jetta said. “I had no trouble with them, and they got the job done on time.”

The panels come with a lesson plan to teach students about renewable resources and an interactive kiosk that displays information on the energy generated and the weather outside.

The panels have been well received at Top of the World.

“We’ve had a really positive response from the staff and community,” said principal Ron la Motte.

La Motte said the lessons on solar power haven’t started yet because “the staff is still learning the educational component,” but that it will definitely start within the month.

“The kiosk is part of a kids museum [located behind the school’s stage], so kids coming through the museum will see it and learn from it,” la Motte said. “We started a modernization project three and a half years ago, and one part of that was to use more renewable resources.”

Top of the World was chosen because its position in the hills puts it above most of the fog and clouds that might interfere with power generation. The school earns credit for the electricity generated, which goes into the power grid, and may use that credit to purchase electricity at any time. The school’s staff expects the credit to cover an average of 40% of the electric bill.

The California Energy Commission’s website is at www.energy.ca.gov. To watch real-time data from the solar panels at Top of the World Elementary School, go to https://view2.fatspaniel.net/FST/Portal/ and select the school’s name.