Brand new solar panels greeted students and staff upon their return to campus this school year. Located above the student and staff parking lots, as well as on the rooftops, the panels are meant to help conserve energy and provide funding for the school district.
Principal Jeff Olivero said, “Two years ago, the board of education decided to lease out the property for the purpose of regenerating funds for the district. As part of that partnership, the rental cost of the facility was a way to save energy and gain money for the school district.”
“Our goal was to get the trenches filled and the fences out of the way in time for when school started and we’ve accomplished that, and so now they’re supposed to be working around the school schedule to finish it,” said Olivero. According the UC website, it is asked that both parents and students drive carefully on campus, due to the unfinished construction (sandi.net/universitycity).
Senior Demar Jackson likes the idea of the new solar panels and believes that they are quite aesthetically pleasing. Jackson said, “Not only are the solar panels a good source of shade, but will be a reliable source of energy in the long run.”
According to the AMSOLAR Corportation website, Mr. Joshua Weinstein, managing partner of the aforementioned corporation, “The solar energy system will produce solar power equivalent to 64 percent of the energy consumption at these 20 sites and will produce 11 percent of SDUSD’s total district-wide energy needs. That means the district will save money on its energy costs from the day the system is placed in service, providing immediate relief at a time when funds are scarce.” Under this agreement, SDUSD has projected that it will save between $13 million and $20 million against its utility costs (amsolarcorp.com).
According to Olivero, the solar panels will eventually provide energy on site for the UCHS campus.