Solar panels may represent the least cliche application of 鈥渢he gift that keeps on giving.鈥�
The saying is nowhere truer than in Jasper, where the new solar array atop the high school will actually generate a surplus of energy while school is not in session.
鈥淚n the summertime when we鈥檙e not running a lot of our systems, we鈥檙e actually pulling houses in town off the grid because we鈥檙e feeding back that much electricity,鈥� said Cory Gray, the superintendent for the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division.
He was at Jasper Junior/Senior High School (JJSHS) on June 28 to welcome Education Minister David Eggen and local MLA Eric Rosendahl for a rooftop tour of the renewable energy project a few hours before the 208-panel system was switched on and started generating electricity.
鈥淭he system (data) is available on the Internet,鈥� Gray explained. 鈥淵ou can see the electricity generated by each panel individually, you can look at what the entire system is doing - you can even watch the clouds that go across the panels and see how the generation of electricity changes.鈥�
Students can also download an app to their phones to get real-time information how many lightbulbs or houses are run by the solar power generated from the school.
Minister Eggen said the government saw the project as a 鈥渨indow of opportunity鈥� to diversity Alberta鈥檚 future energy mix, which is why it chipped in $125,000 for the lion鈥檚 share of the panels.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all coming together and it鈥檚 a great place to do it,鈥� Eggen told the 51暗网. 鈥淵ou have the added benefit of teaching the kids about sustainable energy, you have all the science and math, social studies, that鈥檚 associated with this new direction in energy.鈥�
He said it made sense to 鈥減ioneer鈥� the tech in a town like Jasper, which is already strongly associated with eco-diversity.
鈥淲e can probably work this into part of visitors coming to Jasper, to know the school is in fact using solar panels,鈥� the minister said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great addition to Jasper and the whole region.鈥�
Board officials visiting from Edson wasted no time bending Eggen鈥檚 ear, reminding him while he was still on the rooftop that their new school has also been wired for renewables in the same way JJSHS was.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my intention, certainly,鈥� he said, referring to investing in more renewable energy for schools. 鈥淲e set up this first grouping of 36 schools to put solar panels on, either new or existing, and it sounds like Grande Yellowhead is already a step ahead, they鈥檝e wired up the school in Edson for panels and I鈥檓 very interested. We know it will save money and it鈥檚 a great educational opportunity. It helps us to diversify our energy economy in the province.鈥�
Cameron Mahler was among the students and teachers who pushed for more renewables at the school as part of the Jasper Sustainability Club in its early days.
Now a business student in Kelowna, Mahler returned for the unveiling of the finished solar array.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really exciting to see something come out of the hard work we put in to educate students about the sustainability aspects,鈥� he said. 鈥淗opefully the passion for sustainability carries on with the younger students and they push for even more next time.鈥�
Craig Gilbert
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