Earl of March Secondary School is going green with the
installation of solar panels.
One of 13 Ottawa-Carleton District schools chosen to
participate in the Renewable Energy Funding for Schools program, Earl of March
will have 10 kilowatt MicroFIT solar devices installed on the roof.
“We were chosen because of the physical plan at Earl of
March, the sunlight exposure and position of our roof,” said vice principle Jon
Harris. “We’re a high-energy consumer. That was one of the selection criteria.”
The installation by Energy Ottawa, in partnership with
Ottawa Solar Power, will make Earl of March a more energy efficient school.
“Each system will produce an estimated 11,500 kilowatts an
hour and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 2.2 tons
annually," said Ottawa
public board chair Cathy Curry.
The program is funded by the Ministry of Education and is
expected to generate an additional $120,000 per year in revenue for the board.
“I think it’s good that we were one of the ones chosen,”
said Harris. “It’s nice that we get to give back.”
The installation has already been completed and connected to
the local power grid.
Each of the 13 schools will be equipped with a web interface
that will allow students and staff to monitor the system’s performance and
results, said Curry.
“We now have the ability to tie in a real-world example of a
green initiative into our curriculum,” said Harris.
“This is an excellent example of how the OCDSB is incorporating
environmental stewardship into its daily activities,” she said. “We are pleased
to be lowering the OCDSB's carbon footprint with the added benefit of
generating additional funds which will be used to serve students.”
Other west end schools which will benefit from the program
are Stittsville Public
School and West
Carleton Secondary
School.
jessica.cunha@metroland.com