A group of over 30 volunteers electrical contractors and manufacturers from Calpoly Construction Management Department (CCMD) presented a commemorative plaque to the San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS) on Friday, March 10th. After installing 14 solar panels in December 2016, the volunteer group returned to San Pedro Town to acknowledge the completion of the project.
Principal Roxanni Kay thanked the group for its interest and commitment in selecting SPRCS for this project. Principal Kay explained that with a total of 856 students, managing the school is difficult when there’s little support from the government and the church. Now, with an alternative to use renewable energy, the school will not only reduce its carbon footprint, but it will also help decrease its electricity bill as well.
After a brief welcome address by standard five student Arlington Chacon, standard six student Linel Pacheco delivered an important school message on behalf of Barbara Flores, General Manager of SPRCS. “We are delighted to have solar energy as an alternative resource. This is a significant step in the right direction. As a school, we will use this moment to educate our students and school community to understand the meaning of this. We are a developing nation quickly realizing that sustainable development, and in this case, the use of renewable energy is important,” said Pacheco.
Project Leader David Goldsmith explained to the school how the solar system works. “The school is basically using free energy to use power. Regular energy is a little bit more expensive, and solar panels uses green energy. The panels have inverters and will help the school save when it comes to their electricity bill. Our system also has a backup battery that will supply power in case of inclement weather,” said Goldsmith.
Teacher Ross Novelo stated that this project has become a learning experience for the students. “They have been taught various forms of renewable energy over the past couple of months, and solar has been one of them. We are proud to contribute to a cleaner environment. Electricity, along with water, is used every day, and it is amazing to bring our curriculum into reality,” said Novelo.
After the official ceremonies, Richard McBride of CCMD inspected the work. He led the volunteer group to the school’s electrical room to show them the finished product, then presented the school with a plaque. The plaque was dedicated to the memory of Charles Fazio, Strategist Electric International Foundation and late Professor Tom Glavinish from the University of Kansas, USA. Glavinish developed the original design concepts and allowed the panel project to become a reality when CCMD received a grant to fund the project. Principal Kay accepted the plaque, and then led the group on a tour around the school.
SPRCS thanks Electric International volunteer service California Polytechnic University, California, USA, all of the industry members, and electricians who made this initiative possible.
