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Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2022
JAMAICA HILLS SCHOOL’S NEW SOLAR PANEL
HELPS CITY REACH ITS CLEAN ENERGY GOAL
BY ISABEL SONG BEER
With the help of a new
rooftop solar panel installation
at Thomas A. Edison
Career and Technical Education
High School in Jamaica
Hills, New York City’s
Department of Citywide
Administrative Services
(DCAS) and Department of
Education (DOE) announced
that the city has achieved a
key milestone in generating
solar powered clean energy.
The rooftop installation
at the school and other city
properties will generate 16
megawatts (MW) of solar
power annually – enough
electricity to power 2,600
homes each year. The installation
at Thomas A. Edison
high school alone will generate
579 kilowatts (kW) of electricity,
enough to offset 65%
of the school’s electrical use.
The installation will also
serve as an educational tool
for students to learn about
green energy alternatives,
climate change and careers
in the solar industry.
“Solar installations on
our public schools help the
City reduce emissions while
providing valuable learning
opportunities for students,”
said NYC Department of
Citywide Administrative
Services Commissioner
Dawn M. Pinnock. “New
York City is leading the way
by generating clean energy
on City properties and is on
target to reduce emissions
from government operations
50% by 2030.”
The solar panels at Thomas
A. Edison high school are
now one of 60 such installations
located at NYC public
schools. With this addition,
NYC now receives a collective
75% of its solar energy
Green space with solar panels are being added to the roof. Photo by Dean Moses
from installations on public
school facilities.
“The success of the City’s
clean energy goals is heavily
reliant on our schools for
large-scale installation of solar
arrays on DOE buildings,
as well as the availability of
options and opportunities
to teach, train, and support
our students and educators
in climate action and education,”
said John Shea, Chief
Executive Officer of the NYC
Department of Education’s
Division of School Facilities.
“We are motivated by
the scale of this opportunity
to have NYC school communities
and buildings help to
make a positive and sustainable
impact
Through NYC’s DOE’s
Office of Sustainability’s
NYC Solar School programs,
young people across the city
can receive free professional
learning and development
opportunities in partnership
with the non-profit Solar
One. Solar One delivers participating
schools the curriculum
and technical instruction
and infrastructure to
help interested students gain
footing in the clean energy
field, as well as work-based
learning opportunities.
“When a young person
graduates from a New York
City public school they
should have the skills and experience
needed to get a good
job and be a part of revitalizing
our city,” said Schools
Chancellor David Banks.
“Programs like the Solar
CTE program not only set
our students up for lifelong
achievement, but engage
them in being the creators of
a greener, more sustainable
New York City.”
Solar installations across
the city on city-owned properties
will help NYC reach its
goal of reducing emissions
from city government operated
institutions by a projected
40% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
Vol. 10, No. 7 40 total pages
/QNS.COM
