Solar panels at Highlands greenhouse could save district $70K

Highlands School District will all but eliminate an electric bill for its greenhouse with the installation of solar panels.

The move could mean savings of up to $70,000 over the next 25 years, according to experts at PA Solar Center, a Pittsburgh-based advisory group that facilitated the initiative.

“Electricity rates have increased a lot in last 10 years and they’re expected to keep climbing,” said Leo Kowalski, the center’s director of transformation.

“The district has done a good job of foreseeing that and putting solar in to keep costs down.”

Utility costs have risen by 6% over the past 10 years and by 8.5% over the past five years, Kowalski said.

PA Solar Center is an online resource hub that helps usher people into clean energy use. Founder and Executive Director Sharon Pillar said her group helped connect Highlands with a Google/employee matching grant to pay for the project. The employee provided $10,000 and Google matched that, Pillar said.

“The school’s project is a unique one in that the solar system will power the electricity to their new greenhouse that they are building,” Pillar said. “It should cover 100% of the electricity needs for the greenhouse, which will be used an educational tool for the school for solar energy as well as horticulture.”

The space, situated behind the high school, includes the greenhouse, outdoor classroom and an aquaponics shed.

Assistant Superintendent Cathleen Cubelic said the $20,000 enhancement will provide students with hands-on learning opportunities connected to agriculture, sustainability and environmental awareness.

“It will further enrich their educational experiences while also promoting a greener future,” Cubelic said.

According to the group’s website, Pennsylvania was the leader in solar energy in 2010 but has since fallen to 22^nd in the country, despite the cost of solar dropping 70% since that time.

The center helped complete a feasibility study for the school’s solar system through the GET Solar technical assistance program. The group has provided similar assessments for Wesley Family Services in New Kensington, where solar is expected to save the nonprofit up to $700,000 over 25 years. They also assisted East Vandergrift officials, where the solar array on the borough building roof offsets 100% of the building’s energy use.

Kowalski said the solar panels at Highlands could last up to 40 years, meaning even more savings for the district.

Funding through the U.S. Department of Education Title I program was used to pay for a pavilion with Wi-Fi access so students can have outdoor classes.

Catherine Russo, district coordinator of curriculum, instruction, assessment and funding programs, said a K-12 science team meets regularly to review ways to implement the new space into curriculum.

“I also led several professional development sessions with our teachers on what 3D learning looks and feels like from the student perspective,” Russo said.

Even during summer break, students and staff tended to the space by building and maintaining 12 raised garden beds, learning about agriculture and the environment while growing food and flowers.

Zucchini and squash were harvested and used to feed students in various summer programs like Extended School Year and Camp Creativity.

“All of this ties in perfectly with our K-12 Career and Workforce Readiness Program,” Russo said. “Students will be exposed to and have experiences with different careers in agriculture, engineering, STEM and more.

“We are really looking forward to using this space with the students.”