October 31, 2012

New Solar Project at Great Falls High Prepares Students for Jobs in Renewable Energy Fields

KFBB NewsChannel 5

Great Falls High decided to expand their science solar project after the first installation of two solar panels went so well. Now there are 72 solar panels on the roof of south campus, helping to power the entire building. Dan Wilkins, Applied Physics and Electrical teacher, says, “any electricity that’s produced from our solar system is electricity the school district and the public do not have to purchase to power this building”. 

Thanks to this new solar power system, the school district expects to save $2,500 annually on their electric bill. However, it’s about more than saving money. Students are getting a rare hands-on experience in a new booming technology. Wilkins says, “solar is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States and we need to be preparing our students for these high tech jobs”.

Students are learning everything involved from the time sunlight hits the panels, to when its converted into energy the building can use, all the way to the IT side of things where a data cable provides information on energy harvests and the amount of money saved. Great Falls High Junior, John Bozeman, says he’s learned “how they work, like how it’s all connected and put together and how it powers this place”.