Next month, 275 solar panels are expected to be activated at the middle school campus, the culmination of a project that began in the summer as part of Harker’s broader sustainability initiatives. In addition to offsetting the campus’ day-to-day energy use, the panels will also provide power to the campus’ electric vehicle chargers. The panels, which have already been installed, are awaiting final approval to be activated from the City of San Jose and Pacific Gas and Electric.

“The solar panels will allow us to generate clean energy right on campus and reduce the amount of electricity we need to pull from the grid,” said Sarah Wollbrinck, Harker’s operations manager. The 275 panels make up two systems that will combine to produce nearly 190,000 kilowatt hours in their first year, roughly equivalent to the yearly energy usage of about 17 American homes. Although the system does not currently include battery storage, it is designed so that battery storage can be implemented at a later date, if necessary.

Brian Yager, head of school, said the project is responsible for financial as well as environmental and ethical reasons. “The solar project at the middle school aligns with our efforts to utilize and model sustainable environmental practices,” he said. “Not only do the solar cells reduce our overall carbon footprint, they also make sense financially, as our energy savings over time offset the capital costs of installation.