Rocky Hill, Conn., December 5, 2007 — Common Ground High School of New Haven today hosted the launch of a solar energy curriculum program for teachers. Designed by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), Learning for Clean Energy Innovation (LCEI) will focus initially on solar energy education and will later be expanded to cover fuel cell and wind energy. LCEI professional development sessions will incorporate a specially designed curriculum aligned with the Connecticut Department of Education’s Science Frameworks, and will be offered to 9th-grade teachers from the 61 towns in the state who are participating in the 20% by 2010 Campaign.
“Common Ground has modeled environmental practices on site for a decade,” said Oliver Barton, director, Common Ground High School New Haven Ecology Project. “This collaboration with CCEF adds solar electricity production and monitoring to our campus and provides schools across the state with real-time data for energy research with students. Like the carbon-offset value of the photovoltaic system, the education value now extends well beyond the walls of this school.”
LCEI’s launch at Common Ground High School was held in conjunction with the dedication of a 2-kW solar array installed by Pioneer Valley PhotoVoltaics (PV Squared) on the school’s roof. A monitoring system developed by Heliotronics, Inc., will provide solar energy data, making the LCEI solar energy education unit the first in the state to use real-time information from solar arrays located on school buildings in Connecticut Clean Energy Communities.
“The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund has developed a phenomenal education program. Utilizing state-of-the-art data displays, this program teaches science and math in the timely and highly relevant context of renewable energy,” said Clayton Handleman, president and chief executive officer of Heliotronics, Inc. “Heliotronics is thrilled to have been chosen as the provider of software and Internet displays for this well-crafted, innovative program.”
In the coming year, a total of 100 teachers from 61 towns statewide will receive training in the use of the LCEI solar energy curriculum.
“I salute Common Ground High School, the City of New Haven and the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund for their commitment to clean energy and for their efforts to educate future generations about the importance of renewable energy sources,” said Gov. M. Jodi Rell. “Support from today’s young people will be vital to our ability to advance not only solar but other clean energy technologies for the benefit of all.”
The solar array at Common Ground was earned by the City of New Haven through CCEF’s Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program. Under this program, Connecticut cities and towns may earn the designation of “Connecticut Clean Energy Community” and, in the process, earn solar arrays from CCEF. To become a Connecticut Clean Energy Community, New Haven first had to commit to the 20% by 2010 Clean Energy Campaign, led by SmartPower, Clean Water Fund, Environment Northeast and the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network. In 2004, the City became the first municipal government in New England to commit to this campaign. Today, 61 cities and towns in Connecticut – as well as the State itself – have joined the campaign, which has inspired similar pledges to support clean energy in other states.
"We have a strong commitment toward becoming a more environmentally friendly and healthy city," said Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. "The installation of this solar panel and our participation as a Connecticut Clean Energy Community further our goal of moving toward the use of cleaner, greener energy sources city-wide."
Lise Dondy, president of CCEF, commented, “We have much to celebrate today. The installation at Common Ground will serve as a valuable teaching and learning tool and will provide real-time solar energy data to students around the state through the Learning for Clean Energy Innovation program. It is commendable that the first of the city’s earned PV systems will bring solar energy to life in an interactive way for both teachers and students.”
“New Haven has enthusiastically embraced clean energy, having earned 20 kilowatts of solar PV from CCEF through our special incentive program – a remarkable achievement,” Dondy added.
At the ceremony, special guest Jerome Ringo, president of Apollo Alliance and immediate past chair of the National Wildlife Federation, offered remarks. Apollo Alliance is a broad-based coalition – representing more than 17 million people across the country – that is dedicated to making America independent from foreign energy in 10 years.
About the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF)
CCEF was created by the Connecticut General Assembly and is administered by Connecticut Innovations, a quasi-public organization. CCEF promotes the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies; the creation of clean energy supply; and the demand for electricity from clean, renewable sources in Connecticut in order to strengthen Connecticut’s economy, protect community health, improve the environment, and promote a secure energy supply for the state. CCEF’s funding comes from a surcharge on electric ratepayers’ utility bills. For more information on CCEF, please visit www.ctcleanenergy.com.
About Common Ground High School
Common Ground High School is celebrating its tenth year anniversary as a public college-preparatory charter school with an environmental focus across the curriculum. In addition to classroom instruction, the school uses three areas as laboratories for learning: the city of New Haven, an on-site organic farm, and the adjacent 1500-acre West Rock Ridge. Common Ground models twelve environmental practices at its West Rock site, including using 100% clean electricity, biodiesel fuel, carbon offsets, organic produce grown on site, electronic thermostats, and now photovoltaic panels. For more information on Common Ground High School, please visit www.nhep.com/cghs-1.htm.
About Pioneer Valley PhotoVoltaics (PV Squared)
Founded in 2002, Pioneer Valley PhotoVoltaics (“PV Squared”), is a renewable energy company that designs, installs, and maintains solar energy systems for residential, commercial, and institutional customers. PV Squared serves customers in Connecticut and Massachusetts through its offices in New Britain, CT and Greenfield, MA. The company has wind turbine, microhydro and solar thermal installations to its credit, in addition to over 90 photovoltaic installations of various sizes. As a professional system integrator and installer, PV Squared is organized as a worker-owner cooperative. For more information, visit PV Squared online at www.pvsquared.coop.
About Heliotronics, Inc.
Headquartered in Hingham, Massachusetts, Heliotronics, Inc., is the nationally recognized innovation leader in educational data displays for renewable energy. Heliotronics’ software and Internet data displays are used in schools, universities, museums, corporate lobbies and other institutional settings where energy and climate change are important. To learn more, visit www.heliotronics.com.
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