Grants fuel solar plans at Lake Zurich Middle School North
Lake Zurich Middle School North powered up the new school year with solar panels, thanks to a $7,000 grant through the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and an $895 grant from the panel manufacturer Solar Star.
A third grant has been submitted to the Middle School North PTO to help cover the remaining cost of approximately $1,100. Middle School North Applied Technology instructor Gary Simon submitted the grants on behalf of the school.
Students and staff are able to connect to monitor their solar experience through an informative interface called Enlighten, which displays energy production, system health, and environmental benefits. The Enlighten data shows not only Middle School North, but also any of the 145 solar sites in the Lake County region.
Simon thinks there are many educational opportunities to incorporate the information on the solar site, including math (problem solving, graphs and charts, angles and vectors), science (weather systems, solar paths, thermal energy), health (clean air, ecology), history (development of solar energy), technology (how solar energy is converted and utilized), and social studies (our quest for clean energy).
"This program broadens our educational horizon, benefiting the students in District 95," Simon said.