Installation of Upper School Solar Panels Provides More than Power

The recent solar array installation on our upper school building means more to our school than just long-term energy savings. Having a clean source of efficient power on campus aligns with GPS's commitment to sustainability while offering myriad learning opportunities for students. 

Thanks to a generous individual donation and a Southface GoodUse grant, which covered 70 percent of costs, plus support from the federal Inflation Reduction Act direct pay program, which covered the remaining 30 percent, the purchase and installation of the panels and inverters presented zero expense to GPS.

GoodUse provides technical assistance and funding in the form of matching grants to nonprofits to assist them with resource efficiency upgrades to their facilities. These upgrades save the nonprofit valuable funds on utility bills that can be reallocated into their mission.

While GPS projects an 18 percent electricity consumption reduction to the upper school, the payoffs will far exceed energy savings. 

“The installation of the solar panels presents an opportunity for our students to not only see firsthand our commitment to environmental issues that they’re passionate about,” says Head of School Megan Cover, “but teachers will be able to develop lessons for our girls on energy consumption, how solar panels work, and the benefits of alternative energy sources. Our students can monitor the system to see how much energy is being produced, and the vendor has provided a fully functional panel to allow the girls to see up close its construction and for use in the classroom.”

GPS plans to apply for future grants to offset energy costs throughout the school as part of our commitment to a greener campus along with current recycling, composting, and gardening initiatives.