June 20, 2011
Sunny Days Ahead: Claremont Secondary School Gets 420K for Solar Panels

VICTORIA –Students at Claremont Secondary School will soon know a lot more about the power of the sun, thanks to a $20,000 grant from SolarBC to purchase solar panels.

Why this matters:

• Students at Claremont Secondary School will be involved right from the start by helping to select the best location and angle for the panels. Solar energy will become an important part of the curriculum.
• Once up and running, students will take daily readings to find out how much power is produced to determine greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings.
• These students will help Victoria reach a cleaner, greener future.

Quotes:

“The installation of these new solar panels will be a great learning tool for the students and will have added benefits for our city in the years to come."
- Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong

"Solar technology will be an important part of a more environmentally friendly future, so this money is a wise investment for both the students at Claremont and our entire community as well."
- Saanich North and the Islands MLA Murray Coell

“We were delighted to receive so many applications and very impressed with the effort and ingenuity demonstrated by the applicants.  Narrowing the list to 11 schools from 51 was a very tough job for the Selection Committee.”
-  Nitya Harris, Executive Director of SolarBC

Additional Info:

• SolarBC is providing total of $220,000 to 11 schools ($20,000 each) to purchase solar panels.
• The funding for the solar panels comes from the Province’s $5 million investment in the SolarBC program to encourage solar energy growth throughout B.C.

Visit http://www.solarbc.ca/install/schools to learn more about solar power in schools.

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