Sakai Intermediate School Students Explore Solar Power with Puget Sound Energy and Community Energy Solutions Grants

Students at Bainbridge Island’s Sakai Intermediate School can now study clean, renewable energy technologies first-hand thanks to a solar system made possible by a $25,000 grant from Puget Sound Energy and from more than $30,000 in donations raised through the efforts of Community Energy Solutions, a Bainbridge group dedicated to promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy.

"What’s happening with renewable energy and energy efficiency on Bainbridge is very exciting,” said Cal Shirley, vice president of Energy Efficiency Services for PSE. "The community and Sakai students and teachers are demonstrating that solar power can work in the Puget Sound area as well as reinforcing that smart energy choices are vital for our region.”

The solar array will formally enter service following a dedication ceremony at 1:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at Sakai Intermediate School, 9343 Sportsman Club Road NE, Bainbridge Island. The event includes teachers and students from Sakai who will be demonstrating the new solar array, which incorporates 30 solar modules, making it one of the largest educational arrays in the region.

The solar system, which has the capacity to produce 5 kilowatts of electricity, comes with educational software and lesson plans from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

"What makes the project unique is the active participation by people in the community, which has led to a real sense of local ownership,” said Joe Deets, executive director of CES. "Teachers, students, parents and many islanders have stepped forward to create a clean energy system that will benefit the island for decades to come. This project brings the talk about achieving energy independence for the country to action here locally.”

The $25,000 grant from PSE supported 1.1 kW of solar capacity, in addition to the purchase of an inverter to connect the panels to the school’s electrical system, and a display kiosk, software and lesson plans developed by the BEF in its Solar 4R Schools program. The $30,000 raised by CES came from the contributions of local residents and funded the additional solar panels needed to raise the system’s capacity to 5 kW. CES will continue to raise funds from the community in 2009 with the goal of raising the system’s capacity to 10kW.

In 2008, five Puget Sound-area schools, including Sakai, received almost $100,000 in grants for the installation of photovoltaic systems of 1 to 2 kW, as well as the educational tools that enable students to monitor the systems and learn about solar power. In addition to Sakai, other schools selected for the 2008 grants include:

• Thomas Jefferson High School, Federal Way School District
• Marshall Middle School, Olympia
• Interlake High School, Bellevue
• South Whidbey High School, Whidbey Island

Since 2004, PSE (working through the BEF) has funded the installation of systems at 12 area schools and community facilities. PSE plans a similar request for proposals for early 2009, when the utility will take applications for up to five more solar demonstration projects at area schools.

For more information about the solar schools project or on how residential and business customers can connect solar arrays to the utility grid, visit PSE.com. For more information about CES, visit www.cenergysolutions.org. For more information about BEF, visit www.b-e-f.org.

About Puget Sound Energy

Washington state’s oldest and largest energy utility, with a 6,000-square-mile service area stretching across 11 counties, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers, primarily in western Washington. PSE, a subsidiary of Puget Energy (NYSE:PSD), meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, low-cost procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service to deliver energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit PSE.com.

About Community Energy Solutions

Community Energy Solutions (CES) is a Washington state 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Dedicated to the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy, we see the economic and energy challenges that are before us as opportunities for positive change at the local level. For more information on our mission and activities contact Joe Deets, executive director, at 206-261-5259 or visit www.cenergysolutions.com.

About Bonneville Environmental Foundation

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a Portland, Ore.-based nonprofit organization, was established in 1998 to further the development and use of new renewable energy resources and restore watershed ecosystems. Through revenues generated from the sale of green power products, BEF funds projects that support new renewable energy from solar, wind and biomass and restore damaged watersheds. Revenues generated from its sales of BEF Offsets (formerly known as Green Tags) directly support new watershed restoration and renewable energy projects.