Bright Power is committed to teaching young people about the benefits of efficient and alternative energy sources. Bright Power engineers will perform a whole-building energy audit on a school building. While the students and administrators learn how energy-efficient the buildings are, students will also learn about how solar power works, how buildings use energy, and how they can help conserve energy.

Energy Audit - High School for Environmental Studies

In celebration of 2007 National Environmental Education Week, Jeffrey Perlman taught students at the High School for Environmental Studies (HSES) in Manhattan about solar energy and then led a group of students in an energy audit of the school. The project was sponsored by the National Environmental Education Foundation.

Students assessed the energy usage of their school, analyzed possible upgrades, and sent a funding request detailing their findings to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. This request received funding through PlanNYC.

Read more about this project in National Environmental Education Week. This week is a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation.

Solar Powered Greenhouse - Renaissance School

Bright Power was invited by the Salvadori Center to team up with Solar Energy Systems and Sunwize Technologies and help 5th-grade students at set up a solar PV system on the roof of the Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights, NY.

The students participated in building the solar-power greenhouse as part of their Earth Science Curriculum. They will study and measure solar energy, plants, photosynthesis and water drainage. They also plan to grow their own vegetables and herbs for the school cafeteria. An off-grid solar PV system was installed, along with a battery system capable of powering the greenhouse lighting system for 5 days in the absense of sunlight. The greenhouse was outfitted with DC lighting and a DC fan system.

This project was funded by grants from the KeySpan Foundation and from the New York State Council on the Arts. The greenhouse was installed by Bright Power in association with Solar Energy Systems, the Salvadori Center, and SunWize technologies.

Download pamphlet: Renaissance Charter School