The
advancement of renewable energy innovation is in the hands of 6th grade students. And rightly so. This
past year, science teacher John Woods and his students at North Fork Middle
School in Quicksburg, Virginia, have been implementing real-world
energy solutions to
develop a Net-Zero Science Classroom.
With financial support from the Moore Educational Trust and partnerships with SUNRNR
and other local businesses and community-based organizations, the full vision
of a Net-Zero Science Center is shining bright.
Phase I
The Net-Zero
Science Center has a two phase implementation plan. Phase I includes a Mini Instructional
Alternative Energy System with the purpose of providing students a compact
instructional off-grid ground-level system that can be explored and deployed
each academic year. A SUNRNR 110,
ground mounted solar panels, and a ground deployed wind turbine were chosen to
serve as the instructional components for investigating hands-on, real-life
alternative energy applications.
Phase II
The second
phase to reach Net-Zero includes the design and implementation of a Grid-Tie
Alternative Energy System that will power the entire classroom via solar and
wind. The project recently received a
boost with the donation of a 45-panel 3kW solar array. The panels came from a decommissioned remote
communications installation, and once the array is installed it is expected to
fully power all the classroom’s lighting, computers, and devices. With this
crucial donation, the project now enters Phase II and is seeking partnerships
to accomplish the technical and design elements necessary for a fully
operational Alternative Energy System and instructional space.
Innovation Begins with Questions
“What would
it take to….?” These young energy scientists at North
Fork Middle School have embraced the challenge to reduce their school’s dependence
on the conventional energy grid. And by
immersing themselves in problem-solving and building a network of advisors,
this 6th Grade classroom is fast becoming a model for engaging in
alternative energy solutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment