For Immediate Release

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM
AT LINCOLN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Project Background
ALAMEDA, Calif., March 15, 2002 -- Alameda Power & Telecom is sponsoring the installation of a solar photovoltaic (solar PV) system at Lincoln Middle School (LMS) in Alameda as a part of a larger educational endeavor developed specifically for Alameda students.

The system has been contributed by Alameda Power & Telecom to the Alameda Unified School District and is made possible through the utility's Clean Future Fund - which uses customer contributions to develop new renewable power resources - and its Energy Values program.

With related classroom teaching tools, this solar PV system and the data collected from it will teach students first hand about solar energy and renewable resources. It will also produce part of the school's electric power. The LMS system is a one kW PV system. For comparison, a residential installation of a one kW solar PV solar system will supply about 50 percent of an average home's electricity load.

Why:
Alameda Power & Telecom is fully committed to building a better community through energy efficiency and environmentally friendly electric power. More than 80 percent of Alameda's power is generated using renewable resources. Educating power users of today and tomorrow about clean power generation is a major initiative for Alameda Power & Telecom.

Curriculum Components:
The data from the LMS solar PV collection panels will go into the Alameda Unified School District's local access network (LAN) which will make the information available for classroom study at all Alameda schools. Also in the coming months Alameda students will be able to compare notes with students in other California schools and across the nation via the Internet through Solar Schoolhouse, a program developed by The Rahus Institute., a nonprofit organization which focuses on clean energy resources and conservation education.

Installation:
In a unique collaboration, the installation is a part of the training for a weeklong Women's Photovoltaic Design and Installation Workshop led by Colorado-based Solar Energy International, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to renewable-energy education.

SEI's workshop began in Santa Cruz on March 11 with classroom training. Here the women learned about photovoltaic system specifics and installation basics. The group puts this new knowledge to the test on March 15 and 16 with the Lincoln Middle School system installation.

Alameda resident Susan Kuner and her daughter Satya completed a similar SEI workshop held in 2001 in Texas, and have authored a book on in solar system selection and installation called "Off The Grid: Making Your Own Power."

Project Specifications
Specifications on the project
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