Project MORE, Alternative Education HS in Tucson Installs 10kW PV Array

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Smiles for Solar in AZ

Source: Tucson Unified School District
Press Release
April 28, 2005
Contact:  Estella Zavala or Jennea Moore, 225-6437 

Project MORE Alternative Education High School, part of the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Solar Schools Project, Tucson Electric Power (TEP), and the Arizona Energy Office celebrated the largest school solar power installation in southern Arizona recently. The TUSD is a member of the Greater Tucson Coalition for Solar Energy MSR partnership.

The new10 kilowatt grid-tied photovoltaic system at Project MORE is part of the Tucson Solar Schools Project, a collaboration between Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), TEP, the Greater Tucson Coalition for Solar Energy, the Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office, the Foundation for Environmental Education, and the United States Department of Energy.   

The system’s design, equipment and installation is worth approximately $70,000 and was provided at no cost to TUSD through TEP’s SunShare Program, the Arizona Corporation Commission’s Environmental Portfolio Standard, and DOE grant funding.  Project MORE will generate approximately $2,500 per year in electrical savings and utilize real-time solar and weather data in its science and math curriculum. 

Roger Pfeuffer, TUSD Superintendent; Betsy Bolding, TEP Director of Consumer Affairs, and Ken Clark, Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office Director activated the new system and commented on this successful public/private partnership. The event also included a singing performance by Project MORE students, along with optional tours of the rooftop installation and online data output.

TEP formed partnerships with several community organizations to install solar power systems through its SunShare and GreenWatts programs. 100% of the dollars raised through its GreenWatts program have been used to install the solar power systems, including Project MORE, which represent installations completed since the programs began in the late 1990s.

What's next in the queue for TUSD?

According to Doug Crockett, Assets & Energy Manager Tucson Unified School District, four additional TUSD schools will be selected for smaller solar photovoltaic system installations over the next nine months.  "Davidson Elementary, a new school, is currently under construction, working toward LEED certification," said Crockett. "There will also be a 4 kW PV system at Davidson," he said.   

Participating schools will also receive targeted energy-efficiency retrofits and teachers will integrate energy education into the curriculum to improve student performance. 

TUSD's Resources Efficiency Awareness Program (REAP), adopted by the TUSD Governing Board in 1991, recognized their responsibility to conserve natural resources as an integral part of the basic mission of providing quality education.  Five-year goals for TUSD include educating students and staff to conserve energy water, and waste resources, and demonstrating efficient technologies and the use of renewable resources.  These solar schools are helping TUSD achieve those goals.

More information about TUSD's REAP program can be found on its website. 

Photo:  TUSD Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer with Project MORE staff & students in front of the newly-installed PV system. Credit:  Doug Crockett, TUSD.