HDMS students cheer the NVEnergy SolarGenerations Incentive program that helped their school embrace clean energy.
Kids don’t always cheer the end of summer vacation, but High Desert Montessori Charter School students had a lot to celebrate when school started in mid August. While they were spending those sweltering July days relaxing, the Black Rock Solar crew was busy turning this hot, barren school parking lot:
Before: Super-hot parking lot – not hospitable to children.
into THIS awesome solar carport lot!
After: Super-cool, energy-producing carports that now function as the school pick-up area so the students can wait in the shade for their rides. Clean, renewable energy, plus shade. Brilliant!
The array will produce an estimated 375,000 kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually, which will save the school about $750,000 in electricity costs over the next 25 years.
“High Desert Montessori Charter School is excited to be part of this solar project in partnership with NV Energy and Black Rock Solar,” said Principal Tammie Stockton. “With the $30,000 in yearly savings we will see from this project, our middle school program is planning to build an on-site garden which will provide organic vegetables for our culinary program.”
High Desert Montessori School serves about 400 students from infant/toddler through 9th grade.
The 780-panel array sits atop carports covering parking spots adjacent to the school’s middle school building, turning what was simply a parking lot into an attractive, efficient, alternative energy power plant with shaded parking for school employees and parents.
“As a nonprofit with a mission to help schools and other nonprofits save money through building clean energy, Black Rock Solar is delighted to have completed its largest carport array to date with High Desert Montessori,” said Black Rock Solar Executive Director Paddy McCully. “We’re pleased the array was completed before the start of the school year, so High Desert Montessori can start channeling more of its funds directly into educating students.”
More from the Aug. 22 dedication ceremony:
HDMS Principal Tammie Stockton shares the school’s commitment to the Earth at the dedication event.
NVEnergy’s Tara Lynch helps celebrate HDMS’s renewable energy achievement at the dedication ceremony.
BRS Education Program Manager Catherine Leon was on hand at the HDMS dedication event to help students better understand how the sun makes energy.
Director of Business Development Rich Hamilton lets the crowd know how happy BRS is to have been part of this community-supporting project.
