Just in time for the new school year, Mount Carmel School recently finished installing over a hundred new solar panels as part of its strategic plan to become a greener campus and more energy efficient.
“We are very excited about this project because it will help our environment and help our school by lowering our utility costs,” said school president, Galvin Deleon Guerrero.
Deleon Guerrero added, “Given the size of our campus and study body, this project took two years to complete, and we are truly grateful to everyone that helped make this possible, especially our Board of Directors, our director of institutional development, John Blanco, and Micronesia Renewable Energy.”
The solar panels will go online in time for the new school year and will use a net-metering system. Under this system, the school will still be patched into the grid provided by the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, or CUC. Whenever the sun is out and powering up the solar panels, energy from the solar panels will redirect the school’s energy consumption from CUC to the panels.
The installation of the solar panels is part of the school’s broader strategic master plan, which includes other elements to help the school become more environmentally friendly.
Last year, the school also launched an Eco Club, which sponsored poster and recycling contests, held beach clean-ups, and raised awareness at the school and in the community about environmental issues. The Eco Club also started a school garden to promote the sustainable process of farm-to-table dining. As a result of their efforts, the Eco Club won the Best Project Award at the second annual E-Land Environmental Youth Alliance.
In addition to the Eco Club, with support from its Parent Council, the school has also begun installing energy efficient LED lights in classrooms. A few years ago, the school also began switching out old air conditioners with new inverter type air conditioners that use less energy and leave a lighter carbon footprint.
