LA CROSSE, Wis., (October 13, 2020) – The School District of La Crosse, Summit Environmental School, and the community group Solar on La Crosse Schools have completed the first solar project installation in the school district.
The district replaced Summit’s outdoor school sign and its related lights with a new solar-powered system, the first of several projects that continue to move district facilities toward the use of renewable energy sources.
“As an environmental school, we are always looking for ways to walk our talk,” said Summitt principal Dirk Hunter. “We’re excited about the installation of this solar panel and how we can use this as a part of our sustainability education with our students, families, and staff.”
The project was made possible through funds raised by Solar on La Crosse Schools (SOLS), a new group of students, families, and community members who formed last spring to educate, advocate, and fundraise to make solar energy a reality in La Crosse schools.
Future projects will include installations of rooftop solar, solar over parking lots, solar chargers, and various student-designed projects. Next up, a large-scale solar installation as a part of the Hamilton community school expansion.
Increasing the development of renewable solar energy sources helps the district save money while reducing pollution and carbon emissions caused by fossil-fuel-derived energy, and provides a rich resource for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education and career exploration.
“This becomes the newest addition to our outdoor education areas,” said Hunter. “Our teachers can come out and show students how this system captures the sun’s energy and converts it into useable energy helping students to understand the science behind this process. Instead of watching a video about this, students can live this each day. We now have an authentic application of this technology on-site. Our hope is that this helps to get students, families, and staff excited about the possibilities of using solar energy.
Contributions raised by SOLS will be directed to the School District as tax-deductible donations through the La Crosse Public Education Foundation (LPEF.)
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