Solar Energy

In 2011, students in the Sustainable Design and Engineering elective researched and developed a proposal for a solar voltaic array to be installed at RPCS on the Lower School roof.  The proposal included recommendations on how the solar array could be used to educate the students at RPCS and the community at large about the importance of using solar energy to reduce carbon emissions. The School decided to take the student proposal a step further and applied for a competitive grant from the Lockhart Vaughan Foundation to fund the project. RPCS was selected for the award because of the School’s commitment to environmental sustainability. 

In the first year, the 35.88 kilowatt photovoltaic array generated 46.7 MWh of electricity and offset 32.3 tons of carbon, an amount equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 3 acres of forest. RPCS’s solar initiative reinforces the School’s position as a leader in environmental responsibility and in educating for a sustainable world.