Feb. 3, 2021 • Volume 10, Issue 2 • Complimentary • HiltonHeadSun.com
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Local company adds Tesla power to its solar energy lines By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR
Electric-powered vehicles (EVs) are increasing in numbers on highways and city streets. Nearly 5.4 million hybrid EVs have been sold since 1999, and more than 1.4 million plug-in EVs have been sold since 2010, according to USAFacts.org. Tesla, the most popular of the all-electric cars, requires its own unique charging station to power up, and a local company has been certified to handle not only the installations of residential and commercial stations but other Tesla solar energy products. Steven Schwartz, owner of Hilton Head Solar Power, has been in the business for 14 years. To date, the company has installed more than 50
chargers and superchargers on Hilton Head Island, and more than a dozen in Bluffton. An online search for superchargers on the island and in Bluffton lists the locations, and the Tesla website lists the locations of stations in South Carolina, and other states. Schwartz began working with EVs two years ago, started installing Tesla’s Powerwall – a battery that serves as a backup power supply for the home – seven months ago. He expects to receive soon the documentation that supports their certification to install the high-tech company’s solar roof. Although they are happy to install the home chargers for Tesla owners, those can be handled by a knowledge-
Please see SOLAR on page 12A
PHOTOS COURTESY HILTON HEAD SOLAR POWER
This Tesla Powerwall, installed by Hilton Head Solar Power inside a customer’s garage, collects power from solar panels on the roof and stores it for use should the grid go down.
Free help available for students struggling during pandemic Beaufort County School District K-12 students whose academic work has suffered during the coronavirus pandemic might be eligible for free special assistance. “The coronavirus pandemic has forced instructional changes that have been challenging for many students and their families,” said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. “This
Hilton Head Island High School newspaper INSIDE!
new initiative is designed to identify and support those students creatively and effectively.” Schools have already begun identifying possible student participants for ENGAGE South Carolina, a partnership that includes the district, the S.C. Department of Education, and the Grad Alliance, a nationwide program
Women’s Association celebrates 60-year legacy 14A
Lakinsha Swinton, the district’s director of student services, said students who qualify for the program and choose to participate will get an academic coach to work with them to develop a plan to get them on track for a strong finish to the school year. Trained teachers and social workers will identify students’ needs and support them,
Libraries adapt for pandemic, create new programs 20A
Swinton said. Qualifications include being at risk of failing classes, chronically absent, designated as homeless, among other criteria. Families can also request the free assistance, Swinton said. For more information, parents should contact their children’s school, or call 803897-8517.
Collins Doughtie comes to the Sun 28A
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