By Sydney Severo
Staff Writer
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District has implemented multiple new systems such as solar panels, eco-friendly additions to the pool and a new lighting system at Mira Costa High School to save costs to the district and conserve energy.
During the summer, solar panels were installed in the parking lot off of Peck and Artesia. This parking lot was an ideal location for the solar panels due to its large size and its small impact on surrounding communities, according to Director of Maintenance and Operations Paul Ruta. The panels produce 550 kilowatts in electricity which cancels out the cost of energy that must be purchased from public utility company, Edison.
“I am very excited to be part of this project,” Ruta said. “With all of the energy saving measures that have come into play and with more to come, we are doing our part to make our beautiful community less dependent on the utilities companies, and reducing our footprint on our planet. On a lighter note, the solar panels in the parking lot also provide shade and protection for the students and staff that park there.”
In addition to the solar panels in the parking lot, there is an upcoming plan to install them on the roof of the math and science building as well. The solar panels on the roof are estimated to produce 164,336-kilowatt hours per year of electricity.
“We also have an ongoing energy education program which helps us to identify ways that we can reduce our energy consumption on an ongoing basis,” Assistant Superintendent and Administrative Services Dr. Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard said, “I am proud to be a part of a district that is so committed to responsible energy usage, both by reducing consumption and by increasing production. I look forward to seeing all of our systems come online, and I am excited about our transition to renewable energy resources.”
Additional environmentally friendly plans, called the Opterra Project, include the installation of solar thermal heating for Mira Costa’s pool, a pool pump variable frequency drive, and changing all lights to energy conserving light emitting diode (LED) lights.
“I think it’s great that Costa is taking all these extra measures to keep our school green,” Alyssa Castronuovo said. “Though our one school is not going to make the difference between saving the planet and destroying it, I hope Costa becoming more involved will allow kids to become more aware of the things they do to harm the environment.”
Costa currently has solar powered charging stations in the Mustang Mall, hydration stations and recycling centers. Also, programs such as Grades with Green and Growing Great help to keep students informed on ways to live healthy, reduce, reuse, and recycle.
“As a District, we are committed to a variety of green initiatives,” Dr. Murakawa-Leopard said, “We are continually working to be environmentally conscious throughout the district through our partnerships with organizations like Grades of Green and Growing Great, as well as through many initiatives generated by our parent and student groups.”
The district signed a contract with Chevron Energy Solutions, received 39 funds and got a loan to pay for Costa’s new amenities. The California Clean Energy Jobs Act also partially supported our newest energy projects. The district predicts that the revenue from avoiding the cost of energy each year due to the new energy efficiencies will outweigh the cost of the programs themselves in the long run.
“I know that the programs cause considerable savings to the district, and that affects us because we have more funding for kids stuff instead of paying the utility companies,” Principal Dr. Ben Dale said, “So in that way I am all for it. I am all about green. Do you see what I did there?”
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