Staff Writer

editorial2@thomastontimes.com

Upson-Lee High School along with Upson EMC and Green Power EMC are going green.

With the new addition of an Energy Power Solar Panel Project, students and community members will benefit from new means of learning and experiencing alternate methods of obtaining power.

Through the new program, Sun Power for Schools Solar Panel Project, selective schools now are the home to solar panels, producing nearly one kilowatt of power. The Sun Power for Schools program uses the solar panel and the electricity it produces to help students to learn more about renewable energy.

Alan Shedd, Engineer with Jackson EMC, explained the solar panel to the audience of school officials, local and state politicians and EMC workers, saying, “Photovoltaic cells are used to produce electricity. In full sun, the solar panel can produce one kilowatt of electricity. The electricity is converted to AC power and fed to the school’s electricity system. The project is more than installing wires; it’s about education. Students and people in the community can log onto the internet and see how much energy is being produced at the ULHS location, and at other schools across Georgia.

It may be too late for our generation to change the way we look at renewable energy. That's why the next generation holds the key to finding new and more environmentally friendly ways of obtaining power. That is what this program is all about.”

Senator George Hooks, who attended the dedication said, “Just on the other side of these school walls, students are using computers that are partially powered by the solar panel. These children are expanding their minds by learning through the power of the sun and nature.”

“We greatly appreciate Upson EMC and their contributions to Upson-Lee High School. I’m sure a lot of schools would love to have a program like this one. Its a great way for students to look towards the future,” said ULHS principal Cleve Hendrix.

To view the electricity produced by the solar panel, log on to greenpower.com and click on the link “Sun Power for Schools.”