Efficient Spending Means Efficient Power by Kathleen Dugan

Have you ever stopped to really think about how much electricity our school uses on a daily bases? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. I posed the same question to fifty students, from all different grades and backgrounds. A resounding 70 percent of my respondents said they never worried about it.

As busy students, we oftentimes forget just how much of our school lives are powered by electricity. We take for granted our brightly lit hallways, our illuminated classrooms, and our fully charged tablets and computers. Our school relies on electricity in order to thrive, so wouldn’t it be great if Whitman could produce its own electricity by harnessing the power of the sun?

Whitman currently gets its electricity from PSEG Long Island. In order to generate its electricity, PSEG burns fossils fuels which, in the process, releases greenhouse gases into the environment. Greenhouse gases act like a blanket around the earth, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing it to warm. It’s a natural process and necessary to support life on Earth. However, the buildup of greenhouse gases is a leading cause of global warming. Scientists agree that global warming leads to glaciers melting, habitat loss for thousands of species, and rising sea levels. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that “Electricity generation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.” By going solar, Whitman will be able to dramatically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, in turn reducing the district’s carbon footprint.

Whitman already has some notable electricity-saving practices in place. For example, our teachers are encouraged to turn off their computers when not in use. The school only uses fluorescent bulbs and each classroom has a motion detector which turns off the lights after an extended period of no movement.

But even with these practices, large high schools like Walt Whitman pay upwards of two hundred thousand dollars a year for electricity. Purchasing solar panels is one way for our school to slash its electric bills. After installing a photovoltaic system, the school would only have to pay for energy it did not generate, such as when it’s night and the lights are on. Even the cost of running the school at night can be offset by surpluses produced when the solar panels manufacture more energy than the school uses. All this means that our school can save hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.

Now some of you might be thinking, “Aren’t solar panels expensive? There’s no way Whitman is going to be able to afford those.” Solar panels are a long-term investment. They are an expensive purchase upfront; however, each system has a lifespan of approximately thirty years and many installations pay for themselves within the first fifteen years.

There are many variables involved when it comes to financing an installation, but a large system like the one needed to power Walt Whitman could easily cost upward of a half a million dollars. Luckily, there is a huge solar energy movement within the government right now. Schools are eligible to receive both federal and state level grants in order to offset the costs of going solar.

Solar energy is a smart and viable option for Whitman. By installing solar panels, we will be reducing Whitman’s carbon footprint while saving money. As students of Whitman, we have the power to make a positive change in our environment. We have the power to make a positive change in our local community. By continuing the discussion, we have the power to turn an idea into a reality. And that is truly electrifying.