A technician from Terra Tek Energy solutions installed an array of solar panels on the roof of Bowen Island Community School (BICS) just in time for the new school year. The 30 panel, 7.95 kW array will produce roughly enough energy to power the average home on Bowen Island, and an estimated 2 – 3 percent of the school’s energy requirements. The panels will give students the opportunity to learn about renewable energy first hand.
“The data about how much energy the panels are producing, and how much energy we are consuming will be collected and displayed in real time on a kiosk in the BICS library,” says Principle Scott Slater. “This fits into our science and environmental curriculum in so many ways, but also into one of the pillars of the BC curriculum which is contributing to the community and caring for the environment.”
The BICS installation is part of a program called Solar Now that aims to put solar panels on prominent public buildings in Vancouver in order to raise awareness. Funds from the Knick Knack Nook, the Bowen Island Community Foundation and the North Growth Foundation covered the cost of the project.
The school hosted a community launch for the panels on the afternoon of September 16.