Solar Panels at SC

Solar Energy: a Giant Step Towards a Sustainable School Community

Workers laying down solar panels in California

by Robin Park

Following the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries around the world were pressured to gradually decrease their carbon footprint. Although President Trump left said agreement, President Biden vowed to rejoin the deal following his inauguration in 2020. President Biden also pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and accomplish a carbon-free power system by 2035. In step with this global trend of turning to a more environmentally responsible way of life, Sierra Canyon has partnered with an anonymous organization to place additional solar panels on its campus.

The sun emits enough power onto Earth each second to satisfy the entire human energy demand for over two hours; there is no denying the fact that the sun is an attractive, inexhaustible source of energy. The concept that light can be converted into electrical energy was first discovered by the French physicist Edmond Becquerel in 1839. Solar energy did not garner much attention up until the early 20th century, however, when Albert Einstein published a paper on the Photoelectric Effect, the discovery that enabled him to win the Nobel prize.

Solar panels are much more environmentally friendly than the widely used thermal power plants that currently generate an overwhelming majority of the world’s electricity (around 80%). Unlike conventional power plants, solar panels do not require large parcels of land to be built on and thus do not require natural lands to be destroyed. Solar panels can simply be erected anywhere there is sunlight, such as on top of buildings, on the roof of houses, on top of cars, and even in space. Although the construction and destruction of solar panels do take their toll on the environment around them, the process of generating electricity from solar energy itself has next to no harmful effects on the environment.

Turning to Solar Energy can also save lives, as it is widely recognized as one of the safest ways to produce energy available to mankind at this point in time. Unlike nuclear energy, another universally acknowledged renewable energy source, solar’s history is not marred by unfortunate events like the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and the recent Fukushima Daiichi disaster in 2011. Safety is one of the most significant upsides of solar energy, as it outperforms other renewable energy sources such as hydropower and wind power— there are no dams to collapse or overflow to wipe entire cities from existence, nor are there wind turbines that can kill workers by falling from hundreds of feet

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 and against climate change and global warming, I am glad to know through these new solar panels that Sierra Canyon stands firm in its belief that we as a community should do our part in creating a more environmentally conscious world for all our sakes,” said Ethan Cho (‘22). “Whoever came up with this idea of taking steps towards an environmentally conscious school community really deserves credit. I mean, the fact that people actually went out of their way to secure grants to make this a reality is just so heartwarming,” said Cameron Leary (‘22). “I think the school needs to promote their efforts of going green more often so we can all take part in it as a school-wide community,” said I think the solar panels Gary Wu (‘22). It was obvious from the are a small step for the responses that our students school but a giant leap applaud the school’s efforts to develop the Sierra Canyon for the world towards a community into a more environmentally-sustainable more sustainable future. organization. It must be understood, however, that no one Gary Wu (‘22) process of energy production is a “one size fits all” type of solution. We as a school must weigh the costs and benefits of each energy source to find the solution that best meets our specific needs.