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Eagle Middle School received a 1.1-kilowatt solar electric installation at no cost to the school thanks to an Idaho Power Solar 4R Schools grant in 2007. Located over the front entrance for maximum sun exposure and visibility, the system offers a unique educational tool for teachers and community leaders to promote understanding and foster adoption of solar power in the rapidly growing communities of Eagle, Star and North Meridian.
The installation is the showpiece for the school’s alternative energy education project, an effort to help students make informed decisions about energy use today and in the future. Teachers integrate data from the solar system into their physical science and technology classes with help from a curriculum provided by BEF. Students learn the functions and benefits of solar electricity, and are encouraged to develop their own alternative energy technology applications to present to their school and community.
The Solar 4R Schools project is the latest of many of Eagle’s energy programs. In 2000 – 2002, sixth grade students ran energy patrols to encourage behaviors that conserved energy. In 2006, the school hosted an Energy Action in our Schools teacher workshop. Its sixth grade science and math classroom is a pilot site for a Finelite lighting system designed to conserve energy and improve classroom lighting. The school also recently completed an energy audit and is currently implementing additional cost and energy saving technologies.
Idaho Power provided funding for the system through their Green Power program. This voluntary program promotes and develops renewable energy to offset traditional power generated from non-renewable resources. Currently, over 2,600 of Idaho Power’s residential and business customers contribute to this program. |
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