Solar Panels Installed to Charge Student Cell Phones

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 10/25/19

Over the summer, Olathe West High School added solar panels over two picnic tables where students can charge their phones and laptops.

Over the summer, Olathe West High School added solar panels over two picnic tables where students can charge their phones and laptops.  

The solar arrays were installed by MC Power in front of the Kansas school. Each table has eight USB chargers powered by a large solar panel.

Each table has eight USB chargers powered by a large solar panel.

“The kids think it’s pretty cool to charge their devices with the sun,” Cody Janousek, Green Tech Academy facilitator, said to a local newspaper. “There are no wires coming out of the school to the charging stations, so it’s a bit of scientific magic to make it happen. Our phones don’t really use all that much energy, so I emphasize how cool it is to have the phones powered directly by the sun.”

The high school is one of the most sustainable high school buildings in the nation, according to their website. It’s already outfitted with enough solar panels to make their footprint net-zero in energy consumption, Janousek said.

The solar panels are outside of the Green Tech Academy, one of the 15 different 21st Century Academies available at Olathe Public Schools. The Green Tech program is hosted at the high school and teaches students about renewable energy and sustainability.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at ymarquez@1105media.com.

Featured

  • Minnesota High School Completes $226M Addition, Renovation Project

    White Bear Lake Area High School – North Campus in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $226-million renovation and addition project, according to a news release. The district partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction, which involved creating a single high-school site for the White Bear Lake Area School District.

  • Designing a Performing Arts Center from a PE Perspective

    Designing a top-tier performing arts facility for a high school is a complex endeavor that demands a delicate balance between advanced technical specifications and practical budget considerations. Nevertheless, it represents a crucial initiative that enriches educational and community engagements.

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Splendora Independent School District (SISD) in Splendora, Texas, recently broke ground on a replacement facility for Greenleaf Elementary School, according to a news release. The district partnered with planning, engineering and program management firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) for the project.

  • Minnesota District Completes Major Renovations, Expansions to High School

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced that it has completed the renovation and expansion of White Bear Lake Area High School, according to a news release. The school’s final addition, a new 845-seat Performing Arts Center, was finished in November.