Ewan Woolcock
\nThe OHS Press
\nOkemos HS
\n1st Place
\nDivision 2, News Writing
\nOnline Follow-Up News Coverage<\/p>\n
Solar panels now power ten percent of Okemos High School\u2019s energy.
\nIn June of 2015, former Okemos student and Earth club president Miles Bolton, Dave Chapman (Science) and Steve Lathrop (Director of Operations) began thinking about the possibility of adding solar panels to Okemos High School.
\n\u201cAn alum came back to say hello to Mr. Chapman and he offered to evaluate our roof for solar [panels] because he works in the business. I heard about it and picked up the project from there,\u201d Bolton said.
\nOver the summer of 2016, a team from Michigan Energy Options (MEO) did a walkthrough of OHS and collected data for an energy audit, a report that determines the building\u2019s efficiency and makes recommendations on how to save energy in the future.
\nThe team from MEO determined that the building\u2019s roof angle and design is optimal for solar panels.
\nBolton, Chapman and Lathrop worked together to raise funds for the project.
\n\u201cIt will actually save money and it\u2019s all funded through grants, so it won\u2019t cost the district anything,\u201d Lathrop said. After the school board approved of the project, installation began the beginning of July 2017.
\n\u201cThe [school board] was very enthusiastic and pleased that all of the money is already raised,\u201d Chapman said.
\nThis project not only helps with increasing renewable energy in the area but also helps the district out.
\n\u201cIt generates electricity that then is fed into the grid and so we get a credit that reduces the amount of electricity we take off of the grid,\u201d Chapman said.
\nThis credit goes into the school\u2019s income and is incredibly profitable over the summer when the building is not in use but the solar panels are.
\nStudents like Andrew Baek (12) are glad the new solar panels are in place.
\n\u201cI think it\u2019s a good step forward, a lot of this new world is based on how well we adapt to technology and I think it\u2019s a good step towards a cleaner world,\u201d Baek said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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