WWW.CLEANENERGYRESOURCETEAMS.ORG Helping Minnesota communities determine their energy future CASE STUDY: SOLAR – METRO REGION Project Independence: Solar-Powered Learning for Chisago Lakes Middle School By Rosie Mate, Metro CERT Program Assistant • October 2010 Pat Collins, a Life Science Teacher at Chisago Lakes Middle School, spends a lot of time thinking about how to best engage his students on critical issues. The school has done significant work recently on environmental projects including an Arbor Day initiative where students planted hundreds of trees in the Chisago Lakes area and "Project H2O" where students raised about $14,000 to support the organi- zation Water-for-Africa. Pat says his inspiration for the school’s most recent project came from thinking about “all the gadgets that kids have these days from iPods to you-name-it that all require electricity. Solar panels seemed like a great message to teach kids that they can get that electricity another way.” On January 15, 2009 Pat Collins and John Menard, the school’s Principal, officially kicked off “Project Independence” with a day of activities for his student to get them geared up for the school’s solar project. Over the past two years Pat and about 1,200 students have been involved in the project to install a 10kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system for their school. The solar electric system, now on the south wall of Chisago Lakes Middle School, produces enough clean energy to power the school’s Media Center lab. The solar array also makes a prominent display and, Pat says, “has a beautiful look to it” that he feels has helped to capture the community’s interest more effectively. Overcoming funding concerns of the school board and convincing colleagues to add their support was not always easy, but with the interest and enthusi- asm of the students the project soon took off. The process started with applications for the appropriate permits and talking to representatives from their utility provider, Xcel Energy. Tim Burton, the school’s Director of Maintenance, worked with the utility to complete the necessary paperwork. Hardly a month later they had signed a contract with their installer, Mike Harvey of Able Energy—a licensed and certified solar PV installer—to install the panels when fundraising was complete. As part of their effort to cut costs and engage the community, Project Independence also formed a partnership with The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 110. They agreed to help with some in-kind labor, and in return they had the opportuni- ty to certify additional members of their union as solar installers by working on the project. Project Snapshot Purpose: Engage Chisago Lake students, community members and professionals in the installation of a 10kW solar array. Serving as an educational tool and lowering the school’s carbon footprint. Technology: 44 solar PV panels in a 10kW array System & Installation Cost: $73,000 Total Grants & Donations: $65,000 Total • $5,000 Metro CERT grant • $22,500 Xcel Energy Solar Rewards • $22,500 State of Minnesota • $1,000 Chisago Lakes Rotary • $14,000 Individual Donations Students cut the ribbon on their school’s new solar PV system CERTs PARTNERS University of Minnesota’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships The Green Institute Southwest Regional Development Commission The Minnesota Project Office of Energy Security, Minnesota Department of Commerce C E R Ts F U N D E R S Office of Energy Security, Minnesota Department of Commerce The Bush Foundation Environment & Natural Resource Trust Fund U.S. Department of Energy
Transcript
WWW.CLEANENERGYRESOURCETEAMS.ORG
Helping Minnesota communities determine
their energy future
CASE STUDY: SOLAR – METRO REGION
Project Independence: Solar-PoweredLearning for Chisago Lakes Middle SchoolBy Rosie Mate, Metro CERT Program Assistant • October 2010
Pat Collins, a Life Science Teacher at Chisago LakesMiddle School, spends a lot of time thinking abouthow to best engage his students on critical issues.The school has done significant work recently onenvironmental projects including an Arbor Day initiative where students planted hundreds of treesin the Chisago Lakes area and "Project H2O" wherestudents raised about $14,000 to support the organi-zation Water-for-Africa. Pat says his inspiration forthe school’s most recent project came from thinkingabout “all the gadgets that kids have these daysfrom iPods to you-name-it that all require electricity.Solar panels seemed like a great message to teachkids that they can get that electricity another way.”
On January 15, 2009 Pat Collins and John Menard,the school’s Principal, officially kicked off “ProjectIndependence” with a day of activities for his student to get them geared up for the school’s solarproject. Over the past two years Pat and about 1,200students have been involved in the project to installa 10kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system for theirschool. The solar electric system, now on the southwall of Chisago Lakes Middle School, producesenough clean energy to power the school’s MediaCenter lab. The solar array also makes a prominentdisplay and, Pat says, “has a beautiful look to it”that he feels has helped to capture the community’sinterest more effectively.
Overcoming funding concerns of the school boardand convincing colleagues to add their support wasnot always easy, but with the interest and enthusi-asm of the students the project soon took off. Theprocess started with applications for the appropriatepermits and talking to representatives from theirutility provider, Xcel Energy. Tim Burton, theschool’s Director of Maintenance, worked with theutility to complete the necessary paperwork. Hardlya month later they had signed a contract with theirinstaller, Mike Harvey of Able Energy—a licensedand certified solar PV installer—to install the panelswhen fundraising was complete. As part of their
effort to cut costs and engage the community, ProjectIndependence also formed a partnership with TheInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers(IBEW), Local 110. They agreed to help with somein-kind labor, and in return they had the opportuni-ty to certify additional members of their union assolar installers by working on the project.
Project Snapshot
Purpose: Engage Chisago Lake students, community members and professionals in the installation ofa 10kW solar array. Serving as an educationaltool and lowering the school’s carbon footprint.
Technology: 44 solar PV panels in a 10kW array
System & Installation Cost: $73,000 Total
Grants & Donations: $65,000 Total• $5,000 Metro CERT grant• $22,500 Xcel Energy Solar Rewards• $22,500 State of Minnesota• $1,000 Chisago Lakes Rotary• $14,000 Individual Donations
Students cut the ribbon on their school’s new solar PV system
CERTs PARTNERS
University of Minnesota’sRegional SustainableDevelopmentPartnerships
The Green Institute
Southwest RegionalDevelopmentCommission
The Minnesota Project
Office of EnergySecurity, MinnesotaDepartment ofCommerce
CERTs FUNDERS
Office of EnergySecurity, MinnesotaDepartment ofCommerce
Fundraising efforts for Project Independence continued for a year. The school received a$5,000 seed grant from Metro CERT which covered 60% of the labor costs. Other majorsources of funding included $22,500 from Xcel Energy through their Solar Rewards Programand an additional $22,500 from the State of Minnesota. They had hoped to also apply for theState of Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Grant for Schools, but this funding was not avail-able until after their project had been completed. The final major source of fundraising wasthe community of Chisago Lakes. Pat Collins reported that they raised more than $14,000thanks to students, families and other community members who participated in fundraisingevents such as a 5k “Solar Saunter,” and by purchasing t-shirts, compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), and trees that the students grew. “Every time we do a community service project like this,” Pat said, “we see kids come out of the wood work who would never doanything before. And they all get a chance to be a hero!”
There was certainly more involvement beyond fundraising. Students at Chisago Lakes werelearning about issues of climate change and energy supply as well as the science of renew-able energies like their own PV array. Project Independence has fired up interest in otherteachers who have embraced the topic of clean energy and have incorporated it into theirclassrooms, where students are now writing about it, doing math problems on the subject,and even testing model solar cars and windmills.
The Clean Energy Resource Teams were able to provide a range of support for ProjectIndependence. One of the biggest obstacles to the project was the prevailing attitude that theproject was overly ambitious. As Pat noted, “CERTs was another piece in the puzzle, withresources beyond just monetary—their help and encouragement.” It took some convincing,but everyone decided this was a big project that they could pull off if they worked together.One of the biggest lessons Pat felt everyone took away from the project was a can-do attitude. “It is so important to be teaching kids to bite off more than they can chew, and thenchew it” Pat said.
The installation of the solar panels began on March 15th, 2010. The contractor installed 44panels and the students were able to watch the installation. The completed array was dedicated on Earth Day that April with a ceremony and display of student solar projects.With the new school year starting and the installation complete, students will be able to seehow much energy their panels are producing and how much money has been saved bylooking at live-feed computer monitors in the school’s lobby. This data will be linked to theschool website and IBEW’s website as well, so that the public has access to the live informa-tion about system performance, too.
But Project Independence is not complete now that the initial research and installation phases are done. Pat hopes that Project Independence can serve as a template for otherschools to follow and hopefully do similar things in their community. This project was awonderful educational tool for the students of Chisago Lakes Middle School, a training toolfor local professionals, and served to unite and inspire the community.
To learn more about Project Independence, contact the Co-Managers of the project: Pat Collins, Life Science Teacher: Liaison between contractor and the school and in chargeof fundraising – 651-213-2441, [email protected]; or John Menard, School Principal: In charge of overseeing staff and student involvement andmanaging the finances – 651-213-2401, [email protected].
The community gathers for the ribbon-cutting ceremony
