South Stanly High receives renewable energy grant
South Stanly High School was one of 10 schools in the state to be awarded a NC Green Power Solar+ grant worth up to $27,000. The grant will be used to help install a solar array to teach students about the importance of renewable energy.
Each school will also receive approximately $14,000 in related benefits that include donated SunPower solar modules, a STEM curriculum and teacher training, according to a press release from NC Green Power.
NC Green Power, which is based in Raleigh, is a nonprofit which works to improve the state’s environment by supporting renewable energy carbon offset projects and providing grants for solar installations at K-12 schools, according to its website.
The NC GreenPower Solar+ Schools program is open to all public and private K-12 schools in North Carolina. The installed PV systems, which are 3-5 kilowatts, serve as educational tools in the classroom while also providing an energy impact, likely producing enough renewable energy to power a school’s main office.
The solar arrays have generated an average of 8,026 kilowatt-hours annually, potentially saving schools up to $800 per year.
“I appreciate principal Chad Parker seeking out and applying for this,” Superintendent Dr. Jeff James said. “Grants are a key way to stay innovative and to close the huge funding gap of unfunded mandates from our state.”
Assistant Principal Jodi Autry helped the school receive the grant.
NC Green Power Vice President Vicky McCann said “by the end of 2020, we will have reached more than 31,000 students across North Carolina, and we look forward to helping educate students about energy with these installations.”
Each school is responsible for raising a portion of the funds required. The selected schools will use NC GreenPower’s fundraising platform to raise their funds by Sept. 30.
The other schools that accepted the grant are Hidden Valley Elementary School in Mecklenburg; Island Montessori School in New Hanover; Junius H. Rose High School in Pitt; Mountain View Intermediate School in Macon; NE Academy of Aerospace & Advanced Technologies (NEAAAT) in Pasquotank; Pembroke Elementary in Robeson; Reaching All Minds Academy in Durham; The Fletcher Academy in Wake; and Western Union Elementary in Union.