Colonial School District Might As Well Be Walking on the Sun

Even though Tangent Energy Solutions deals mainly with solar arrays and cutting edge energy saving technology, its partnership with is hitting a little closer to home than might be expected. This Friday, June 24, Tangent Energy and Colonial School District will be hosting a presentation at by Nora Mead Brownell, the former Pennsylvania PUC/Federal Energy Regulation Commission Commissioner, who will speak to female students in the district's "Girls in Technology" program ages nine to 12, according to a press release from Tangent.

Construction of the solar arrays on Colonial Middle School began this past week, and the panels and installation model will be inside for the girls' lesson, the release said.

Tangent Energy Solutions initiated the relationship between itself and the school, and shortly after, the district opted to install solar arrays on both the middle and high schools. The arrays are predicted to generate 689 kilowatts of power, which is expected to save the district $1.5 million over the next 20 years (or $75,000 annually). The solar panels will replace approximately 30 percent of the district's energy usage, which, in turn, will drive down the remaining energy that the school must purchase to operate.

In addition to the implementation of solar power, the school district will also be incorporating solar energy into their curriculum. Once construction is complete, there will be nine different Pa. schools that operate using solar power including the Bethlehem Area School District.

Construction of the arrays has been contracted through Tri-M, a company headquartered in Kennett Square.