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FEATURE
THE STANDARD
Forbes Magazine
Solar Energy: a Giant Step Towards a Sustainable School Community up in the air. The economic benefits of incorporating solar energy also apply to our school community, as according to Mr. Shapiro, the Chief Financial Officer, Sierra Canyon is seeing an average saving of over $8,000 every month following the introduction of the panels. As the school financed the solar panels through a grant every dollar the solar panels save translates to profit for the school since there is no cost required to “pay off” the panels in the first place. The initial cost of installing solar panels is the primary deterrent for many who seek to introduce solar energy into their lives. The surplus funds that are made available would allow Sierra Canyon to dedicate more funds to other aspects of the overall school community, such as athletic events, Prom, the Homecoming dance, pep rallies, and various other school events. Although there is no denying the fact that introducing solar panels to the school campus comes with countless benefits, no new development would be a good one until its implementation is agreed upon by the wider school community. With this in mind, The Standard went around campus collecting the voices of the student body. Not surprisingly, there was an overwhelming voice of approval for the school’s efforts to go green: “With all the contradicting arguments being made both in favor Workers laying down solar panels in California and against climate change and global warming, I am glad to know through these new solar panels that by Robin Park Sierra Canyon stands firm in its belief that we as a Following the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries do not require natural lands to be destroyed. Solar community should do our part in creating a more around the world were pressured to gradually panels can simply be erected anywhere there is environmentally conscious world for all our sakes,” decrease their carbon footprint. Although President sunlight, such as on top of buildings, on the roof of said Ethan Cho (‘22). “Whoever came up with this Trump left said agreement, President Biden vowed houses, on top of cars, and even in space. Although idea of taking steps towards an environmentally to rejoin the deal following his inauguration in 2020. the construction and destruction of solar panels do conscious school community really deserves credit. President Biden also pledged to cut greenhouse take their toll on the environment around them, I mean, the fact that people actually went out of their gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and accomplish a the process of generating electricity from solar way to secure grants to make this a reality is just so carbon-free power system by 2035. In step with this energy itself has next to no harmful effects on the heartwarming,” said Cameron Leary (‘22). “I think global trend of turning to a more environmentally environment. the school needs to promote their efforts of going Turning to Solar Energy can also save lives, as green more often so we can all take part in it as a responsible way of life, Sierra Canyon has partnered with an anonymous organization to place additional it is widely recognized as school-wide community,” said one of the safest ways to solar panels on its campus. Gary Wu (‘22). The sun emits enough power onto Earth each produce energy available It was obvious from the second to satisfy the entire human energy demand to mankind at this point responses that our students for over two hours; there is no denying the fact in time. Unlike nuclear applaud the school’s efforts that the sun is an attractive, inexhaustible source of energy, another universally to develop the Sierra Canyon energy. The concept that light can be converted into acknowledged renewable community into a more electrical energy was first discovered by the French energy source, solar’s environmentally-sustainable physicist Edmond Becquerel in 1839. Solar energy history is not marred by organization. It must be did not garner much attention up until the early 20th unfortunate events like the understood, however, that no one century, however, when Albert Einstein published a Chernobyl disaster in 1986 process of energy production Gary Wu (‘22) paper on the Photoelectric Effect, the discovery that and the recent Fukushima is a “one size fits all” type of Daiichi disaster in 2011. enabled him to win the Nobel prize. solution. We as a school must Solar panels are much more environmentally Safety is one of the most significant upsides of solar weigh the costs and benefits of each energy source to friendly than the widely used thermal power plants energy, as it outperforms other renewable energy find the solution that best meets our specific needs. that currently generate an overwhelming majority sources such as hydropower and wind power— there of the world’s electricity (around 80%). Unlike are no dams to collapse or overflow to wipe entire conventional power plants, solar panels do not cities from existence, nor are there wind turbines require large parcels of land to be built on and thus that can kill workers by falling from hundreds of feet
I think the solar panels are a small step for the school but a giant leap for the world towards a more sustainable future.
