Solar Power at Mt. Abe? by Courtney Devoid

Essex is doing it, why not us? We already have the wood chip facility taking care of our heating needs. Naturally, the next step is to install solar panels to take care of our electricity needs. Solar panels, installed on the roof of Mount Abraham Union High School (MAUHS), would collect energy and store it in the electricity grid for our school to use. Just like with the MAUHS wood chip facility, there are many options to make this idea possible.

MAUHS installed the wood chip facility three years ago as a way to transition our heating needs to a more sustainable form of technology. Solar power could be the next step for our school to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Currently, the world is hooked on fossil fuels that take millions of years to produce (American Association of Petroleum Geologists.) The supplies of non-renewable resources are quickly dwindling, so before the prices skyrocket again, it would be wise to make the switch at our school to solar powered energy. One reason to switch to solar power is because it is a renewable resource. A renewable resource is a form of energy that can be harvested faster than the rate of human consumption. Solar energy has the potential to provide 1,000 times more energy than the world demands. (American Energy Independence.)
The nuclear reactor that provides half of Vermont electricity, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, will soon be shut down (Safe Power Vermont, VPIRG.) This means that the source of electricity for most of the state is soon going to be gone. Electricity will have to come from farther away and will be more expensive, costing tax payers in our district more money. Although harmful to the environment, nuclear power is cheap and the power produced at Vermont Yankee is local so it costs less. To get power from sources outside of the state, which is our only option right now, will cost more money because it is farther away. Since our school budget is partially supported by tax payers, increased electricity prices will cost them more money.

One easy solution would be to transition MAUHS to solar power. To do this, we would have to initially invest in the purchase of the panels. This could be pricy as one panel could cost more than $12,000, however, the pay off is quick (Galbraith, Katie. Nytimes.com.) Essex Middle and High School is currently making this transition with federal grant money. The money was received from a federal stimulus grant as a way to put money into the economy by focusing on sustainable technology.

Right now, our economy is going through hard times, so fuels are inexpensive. As quickly as fuel prices dropped, they will rise again, and fast (Brian O'Keefe, CNN Money.) We need to make this transition as soon as possible. There are many options to make this happen at MAUHS. One option would be to apply for a grant to supplement the cost of the solar panels. Another option would be to spend the money on the solar panels and pay back the loan from the electricity savings. Or, a Co-op model could be used. Cooperatives are groups of people that get together to support a certain cause. Basically, residents of Addison County who do not have good solar access would purchase solar panels to go on the roof of MAUHS. The electricity generated from the panel would go into the grid and be used for the resident who purchased the panel. Excess electricity would be used for our school.

Clearly, there are many options to transition our school to be more environmentally friendly. We should seriously consider the option of solar power because of all the benefits it has. “Solar power makes a lot of sense,” said MAUHS physics teacher, Tom Tailer. “Mt. Abe has a good flat area with lots of solar access. It is one of the critical components to developing a sustainable energy economy.”