Troy Middle School Science Club Learns About Solar Energy

Photo: Troy Middle School Science Club members learn about the solar paneling recently placed on Troy School District 30-C schools.

Back from left: Autumn Wilhelmi, Trenton Marski, Hunter Erickson, Alex Thom and Spencer Chow.

Front: Jacob Cucci, Will Stiteley, Stephanie Moriarty and Billy Harris.

Troy Middle School Science Club members are learning all about the solar energy cells that power their school, and Science Club sponsor Dr. Barbara Will-Henn also has plans on incorporating the lessons in her science capstone exploratory classes next year.

Last spring, solar panels were mounted on the roofs of six of Troy Community School District 30-C’s seven schools – the elementary schools Troy Craughwell, Troy Cronin, Troy Heritage Trail and Troy Hofer and William B. Orenic Intermediate School and Troy Middle School.

Ground-mounted panels were also placed at Troy Middle School and Troy Shorewood Elementary School, and a free-standing mobile panel was given to the school district for the purpose of student education.

“Our Science Club students are learning about how these solar panels are made, how they draw in that energy and convert it to electricity and how that energy is stored,” Dr. Will-Henn said. “They are also learning how we can be responsible citizens by using science to diminish our use of fossil fuels.”

Troy’s 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. The district received more than $1 million of renewable energy credits for the project.