News
MMS Goes Solar
Posted August 18, 2008
Noteworthy Facts about MMS's Solar Installation:
Marin Montessori School is now a true steward of the earth as our children are taught to be through the Montessori pedagogy. The school installed a 25kW DC solar array in August, 2008.
The solar array enables the entire west side of campus to offset 100% of its electrical usage through solar energy. This equates to an $9,500+ annual reduction in the school’s fixed operating costs and completes the original design and intent of the new buildings.
Now that MMS has gone solar, it will vastly reduce its carbon footprint! Over 25 years, the school is estimated to save roughly 14.7 acres of trees planted and 2.7 million miles not driven. The panels will remain productive for 40 to 50 years.
Our wonderfully supportive community raised $134,187 for the solar array through the 2007-2008 Fund-A-Need! Micah’s Red Tail Hawk class contributed $137 to the total through a class sponsored farmer’s market with greens grown and sold by the children.
The fundraising for the solar array began with a generous gift of $51,000 from Pam and Bill Cordingley whose three children Will, Christina and Kylie are all graduates of Marin Montessori School.
The final cost of the 25kW solar array was $138,000 – 97% raised through the 2007-2008 Fund-a-Need, with the remaining amount coming from past fund raising efforts.
Additionally, through energy conservation measures costing less than $500, MMS reduced its annual energy consumption by 20% to 25% in order to reduce the proposed array size. MMS parent, board member and electrical engineer, Zarko Draganic did a comprehensive energy consumption audit of the west side of campus in May, 2008. His passion for energy conservation has been an asset for the school's active reduction in environmental impacts.
The energy conservation measures included replacing incandescent lighting with compact fluorescent (CFL), adding occupancy sensors to classroom lighting, replacing manual timers with automatic celestial timers on all outdoor lights, removing CRT computer monitors, controlling hot water recirculation, and programming low power modes for copiers and computers.
A web-based monitoring system of the solar array is gradually coming online. The monitor allows the children and community to observe the array’s production and how much power the school is consuming on a real-time basis. CLICK HERE to view real-time monitoring.
