WASHINGTON, June 14, 2017 - Richmond, Virginia-based Dominion Energy has expanded its Solar for Students program, which gives students hands-on experience with solar power.
Dominion recently selected five additional public schools in Virginia for the program, which allows children to observe and learn firsthand about harnessing solar energy from a solar array installed outside the classroom. Each school will receive a 1.2-kilowatt photovoltaic system, as well as technical support, educational materials and training for educators.
The solar arrays will have a visual display that shows students and faculty real-time data on the amount of electricity generated. Each array will generate enough electricity at maximum output to power 18 desktop computers, 40 ten-gallon aquariums or 15 42-inch LED televisions, Dominion says. Four public schools piloted the program in 2015, the company says, so the program has more than doubled in size.
"We are very excited to expand the reach of the Solar for Students program to give more organizations the chance to engage children in learning about clean, renewable solar energy," Hunter Applewhite, president of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, said in a statement.
Dominion notes that it has invested nearly $1 billion in solar projects since 2015, and currently has a dozen new projects underway. The company has long-range plans to bring 5,200 megawatts online by 2042, enough to power 1.3 million homes.
