Washington, D.C. (September 26, 2006) – The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) dedicated ASES' first Legacy School project yesterday with a celebration at the Barnard elementary school in Washington, D.C. This project and five others at schools around the country are the result of the ASES Legacy Adopt-A-School program, which supports a solar school installation in cities where ASES holds its annual solar conferences.
Barnard Elementary School was selected as the inaugural ASES Legacy School in 2001, following the 2001 ASES Solar Forum, its national solar conference, which was held in Washington DC in April 2001. Completion of the solar power installation was delayed while the new school was constructed, but the project partners persisted, and the payoff came this summer as final approvals were granted.
"This administration, these teachers, these kids and the broader school community all have embraced solar technologies as a pathway to the future," said Brad Collins, Executive Director of the American Solar Energy Society. "We hope that the students sustain their interest throughout their school years, and end up dedicating their careers to the promising field of renewable energy technology development."
The ASES Legacy School project was completed with the help of many dedicated organizations. Following is a list of supporters and the contributions they made:
- The U.S. Department of Energy's EnergySmart Schools provided technical assistance in the design of the new building, incorporating several energy-efficiency elements.
- The National Energy Education Development project (NEED) provided teacher training and energy education classroom materials for the teachers and students
- The Bonneville Environmental Foundation managed the procurement and installation of the 1-kW photovoltaic system with monitoring for the school to use as a teaching tool.
- The Vote for Change Renewable Energy Project, a coalition of artists led by Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and including Bonnie Raitt, the Dave Matthews Band, REM, and Pearl Jam, contributed the funding for the photovoltaic system.
- The Maryland-D.C.-Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association (MDV-SEIA): installed the PV system for the school.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided the tools to benchmark the school to measure and monitor its energy usage.
"Our partnership with ASES and the other dedicated organizations supporting this first project in Washington D.C. has been tremendously rewarding," said Rob Harmon, Vice President of Renewable Energy Programs at Bonneville Environmental Foundation. "We are proud to be a partner in the Legacy School program’s accomplishments and we are invigorated by the enthusiasm the Barnard community had the for the success of the project."
ASES established the Legacy Adopt-A-School program in 2001 to support solar education, solar career development, and energy leadership in ethnically diverse, economically disadvantaged communities in the cities where ASES holds its annual solar energy conference. Barnard elementary in Washington, DC is the first ASES Legacy School recipient and is followed by Reno, Nevada; Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; Orlando, Florida and, most recently, Denver, Colorado.
The 1-kilowatt (kW) solar power system provides a teaching, research, and hands-on demonstration opportunity for a generation of students. The system is supplemented by a web-based monitoring system that provides real-time access to information regarding the system’s performance from any internet-enabled computer at any time. For more information on the system or to see how it is performing, visit: http://www.b-e-f.org/renewables/barnard.shtm.
About the American Solar Energy Society
The American Solar Energy Society is the nations’ oldest and largest membership society dedicated to advancing the US toward a sustainable energy economy. ASES publishes SOLAR TODAY magazine, organizes the annual National Solar Tour, sponsors the National Solar Energy Conference and advocates for government policy initiatives to promote the research and deployment of renewable energy. ASES has regional and state chapters throughout the country. More information is available at www.ases.org.
About the Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, is a national non-profit organization, established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading.
More information is available on the Web at www.b-e-f.org or www.GreenTagsUSA.org.
