Troy 30-C Schools Demonstrate Solar Panels To Legislators

Photo 1: Illinois Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and Representative Natalie Manley this month learned about Troy 30-C’s solar energy program from Troy Superintendent Dr. Todd Koehl, Troy School Board President Mark Griglione, and Troy science teacher Dr. Barbara Will-Henn with students Trenton Marski and Tori Tverdek, along with representatives from Ameresco, Inc., Continental Electric and the Illinois Solar Energy Association.

Photo 2: Troy 30-C School Board President Mark Griglione addresses press conference on the district's solar energy program.

Troy School District 30-C Superintendent Dr. Todd Koehl this month showed a scaled-down working model of the district’s recently-installed solar panels to Illinois Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and Representative Natalie Manley.

Koehl explained how the panels were installed on the rooftops of six of the district’s seven schools last spring, and Troy School Board President Mark Griglione said the energy generated from them has already resulted in tremendous cost savings, in addition to being a green and sustainable way to power the schools.

The panels are expected to provide 48 percent of the district’s electricity, with cost savings of an estimated $3.8 million over the next 20-30 years

Each of the Troy schools - elementary schools Troy Craughwell, Troy Cronin, Troy Heritage Trail and Troy Hofer, and William B. Orenic Intermediate and Troy Middle Schools – has approximately 1,000 solar panels.

Troy Middle School SciCap Exploratory teacher and Science Club sponsor Dr. Barbara Will-Henn, with two of her Science Club students Trenton Marski and Tori Tverdek, told the legislators how electricity is generated from the panels and how the smaller panel will be used to teach Troy students about the subject. Will-Henn said she plans on incorporating the topic into her classrooms next school year.

Troy schools are located in Joliet, Shorewood and Plainfield.