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MCPS Makes Renewable Energy Sources a Priority

Montgomery County Public

Schools (MCPS) believes in

clean, renewable energy.

In 2005, MCPS began purchasing
electricity through renewable energy
certificates (RECs). The primary
sources of RECs electricity are wind
and solar. At present, 35% of our
electricity comes from RECs, which is
an increase of 30% since 2005.
In 2009, MCPS entered into a
partnership with a private company
and put a solar power purchase
agreement in place. We now have 12
schools hosting more than 11,000 solar
panels with the potential to produce The solar panels that cover the roof of Lakelands Park Middle
2.75 million watts of direct current School and eleven other MCPS schools have generated
electricity through solar power. These more than 10.14 gigawatt hours of solar energy.
schools were chosen based on several
factors including the life expectancy of
the roof, the orientation of the building, the equipment housed on the roof, and As we teach our students the value of
the trees covering and surrounding the building. protecting our natural resources and
show them how they should be
As of February 2017, MCPS has generated nearly 10 gigawatt (GW) hours of
stewards of the planet, we continue
electricity through the use of solar panels. To help put this number in
to make progress toward reducing our
perspective, it’s important to know just how big 1 GW is. There are 1 million
carbon footprint and making the earth
kilowatts (kW) in a gigawatt, so the solar panels on MCPS property have
a greener planet. MCPS as a whole
generated more than 10 million kW hours of electricity, which is approximately
can be proud of the accomplishments
the combined total of electricity used by Damascus, Northwood, Sherwood,
we make every day to preserve our
Springbrook and Walt Whitman High Schools during the 2015-2016 school year!
natural resources and ensure
When looking at how solar energy benefits the environment, the solar environmental sustainability for
electricity that has been generated is the environmental equivalent of a present and future generations.
reduction of about 20 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO 2), or the equivalent
of 18 million automobile miles. Our
purchase and production of renewable “Solar is cost effective right now.
energy resources is just one way MCPS When you consider the cost to our
proves its commitment to environmental
sustainability. To learn about the other health from air pollution,
things we’re doing, read our MCPS solar is just as competitive as
Environmental Sustainability
Management Plan. any other energy source.”
~Thomas P. Kay
2
APRIL 2017