St. Francis Solar Installation

Pod
Aerial view of SFHS campus with solar panels.

Let the Sun Shine! On February 24, 2012 St. Francis High School completed the installation of a 309.3 KW Photovoltaic (PV) System and began generating solar power. The 1,316 panels on the rooftops of seven campus buildings are projected to produce 30.6% of the school’s current electricity requirements and save the school $1 million over the next 25 years. The installation, the second largest school installation in SMUD’s service territory, was funded through a US Treasury Grant, SMUD rebates, and reductions in electric utility bills.

The SFHS solar project will generate the 426,595 KWH of electricity annually. A comparable amount of electricity generated by a coal fired plant would dispel 294 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, equivalent to 32,978 gallons of gasoline or to the energy use of 42 homes for one year.

The solar installation brings the new direction of the Catholic Church to the Sacramento community, sets an example for others to follow, and demonstrates the importance of living in cooperation with nature. The Catholic Church takes a strong stance on the issues of environmental awareness and conservation. Beginning in the 1960s, the Church adopted a firm stance in favor of addressing and resolving the environmental issues of the day. Under Pope Benedict XVI, the Church has risen to the forefront on issues such as renewable energy and carbon emissions.

A Letter From Kate Ely ‘12 

Kate submitted the following letter to the Sacramento Diocesan Finance Council in September 2011 as part of the presentation seeking the council’s approval for the St. Francis photovoltaic project.

My name is Kate Ely and I am a senior at St. Francis Catholic High School. Since the spring of 2011, I have worked alongside members of the finance department, as well as others within and outside of the immediate St. Francis Catholic High School Community, to complete the plans and formalize a proposal for the installation of a PV solar system on campus. An avid camper, hiker, and tree-hugger, as well as an athlete who spends most of her time outside, I care immensely for the environment. I worked with Breathe California of Sacramento Emigrant Trails to establish a club on campus – Ask. Investigate. Resolve! – to evaluate the carbon emissions and energy consumption of the campus, and then make a plan to address the identified problems. Now the club, merged with Environment Club, plans to take on a broader range of ecological issues. Something with a significant impact, such as the installation of solar panels, is precisely the type of project I sought to undertake when I founded the club two years ago, so discovering adults in the midst of plans, sketches, and calculations seemed too good to be true. Jumping right in, I worked to become familiar with the technical jargon of panels, rebates and construction. However, it quickly became apparent that understanding the charts and graphs, installation techniques, and advantages of the prospective bidders only comprised a portion of the significance of the project. The opinion of students also mattered significantly. As I spent more time working on the project, a specific role developed for me: to represent the students, to be their voice. While St. Francis Catholic High School intends to install panels on campus for the purposes of cutting energy costs and reducing carbon emissions, the benefit to the students and the community in general must also be included as primary motives for the project. St. Francis Catholic High School hopes to bring the new direction of the Church to the Sacramento community, set an example for others to follow, and demonstrate the importance of living in cooperation with nature.

The Catholic Church takes a strong stance on the issues of environmental awareness and conservation. Catholic teachings emphasize the importance of caring for all of God’s creation, including the environment. Beginning in the 1960s, the Church adopted a firm stance in favor of addressing and resolving the environmental issues of the day. Under Pope Benedict XVI, the Church has risen to the forefront on issues such as renewable energy and carbon emissions. In 2008, Pope Benedict commenced two projects – installation of solar panels on the Paul VI auditorium in Vatican City and restoration of forests in Hungary – to demonstrate the significance of environmental issues to the Church. Currently, Vatican City is the only city classified as carbon neutral; other renewable energy, as well as carbon certificates, offset the scant amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the Holy City. Furthermore, Pope Benedict XVI added “ecological” evils, committed individually and collectively, to the modern list of deadly sins because such transgressions violate the laws of nature to which all individuals must subscribe if they wish to survive. For youth in particular, Pope Benedict refers to the importance of natural law: the ways of right and wrong. Created in the image of God, people are endowed with the ability to decipher right from wrong, good from bad, says Pope Benedict, so it falls upon them to preserve the “foundation of their existence” by observing “the inherent laws of nature.” He goes further to intertwine personal responsibility with the Ten Commandments: every individual must live in the context of a greater community, with respect for others and for Creation, in order to survive. Preserving the environment not only refers to helping the birds and the bees; using resources wisely demonstrates an awareness of the plight of workers in developing countries, who live in sub-standard conditions. Ecology encompasses the relationship between humanity and resources around the world, as well as the connection between plants, animals, and natural habitats. Pope Benedict recognizes the value of using one’s treatment of and role in nature as symbolic of morality, relationships within a community, and conscientiousness.

Without realizing it, the students of St. Francis Catholic High School already demonstrate a strong understanding of Christian morality through their mindfulness of resources and energy. Walking across campus, one sees Nalgenes and reusable lunch bags throughout the courtyard instead of plastic water bottles and plastic bags. Rather than drive, many students walk, bike, or ride public transit to school every day. A group of students started an on-campus garden last spring to provide sustainably grown vegetables to other students, as well as families adopted by the school. The Environmental Club organizes an awareness week in the spring to educate girls about various issues and empower them to make changes. This year, the club plans to draft a Sustainability Plan for our campus. The plan will address guidelines to ensure that modifications to existing facilities and future additions meet certain ecological standards. The club will also emphasize the importance of living a more sustainable life both on and off campus by making small alterations to the daily lives of students and faculty that pay greater heed to the careful use of resources. Last year, the theme for the entire school was “Respecting God’s Creation.” Masses, prayer services, and the entire Lenten season centered upon the environment and how students could make a difference by recycling, turning off the lights, and using resources wisely. This year the theme, “Formed in the Spirit, United in Peace and Justice,” focuses on the rights and dignity of workers, especially in developing countries. Workers living in poverty lack the luxury of wasting water, food, and energy; as a result, in order to live in solidarity with them, students on campus will pay closer attention to what they use and how they use it. Students at St. Francis Catholic High School care about the world around them, and they are aware of the impact their actions have on the environment. As followers of Christ, living in the image of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis Catholic High School students are also avid environmentalists.

Scientists and researchers have developed new technology to address various threats to the environment, especially in the search for alternate sources of clean energy. Currently, coalpowered plants and natural gas produce much of the nation’s energy. Unfortunately, both sources produce harmful greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide. Solar energy exists in infinite proportions, but harnessing that energy and converting light into electricity has proved a challenge. However, with significant advances in photovoltaic technology, solar energy became less expensive and more accessible. As a result, it has also become more common for people, organizations, and communities to use solar panels to generate electricity. People choose solar energy because it does not release any by-products or carbon-emissions, and the energy is renewable, unlike the fossil fuels currently used around the globe. Compared to both wind and water energy, solar energy is safer because no moving parts are involved; stationary panels capture the light. The turbines used to generate both wind and water energy are harmful to the environment, disrupting aquatic habitats and harming winged animals. Solar energy is also safer than nuclear energy because the panels do not create dangerous radioactive waste, as do nuclear power plants. Solar energy rises to the forefront as a practical form of renewable energy available today because individuals, as well as large corporations, can mount panels on the roofs of their homes and buildings, and immediately begin producing electricity and reducing their carbon footprints. For St. Francis Catholic High School, the use of solar panels would have a significant environmental impact. To provide data that is easier to visualize, consider the following: The St. Francis Catholic High School proposed solar project will generate the 426,595 KWH of electricity annually. A comparable amount of electricity generated by a coal fired plant would dispel 294 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. When compared to the more commonplace quantities, these kilowatt hours are equivalent to 32,978 gallons of gasoline or to the energy use of 25.5 homes for one year.

To the St. Francis Catholic High School community, the proposed solar project represents far more than an economic or even energy-saving venture. While the numbers – fiscal and energy – are significant, the project must be viewed in an educational and spiritual light, too. The installation of panels would have an overwhelmingly positive impact on campus. When asked about the possibility of installing panels on campus, students responded with enthusiasm, pride, and excitement. The girls recognize the value of reducing carbon emissions to preserve the environment. Once installed, technology associated with the panels would be integrated into both science and theology lessons. Teachers would have access to monitoring software to use for lessons. The theology department might use the example of the panels to emphasize the importance of stewardship, as well as Catholic morality; campus ministry, too, can utilize the project to enhance their messages to students. Students would be privy to information about the amount of energy being saved by the solar panels. The solar installation includes not only the panels, but also a monitoring system that students can easily access for information about the carbon emissions and energy consumption of the school. The technology would bring numbers and concepts directly into the path of students to help them fully grasp the positive impact of their school. Girls would be empowered to further their role in the global community by taking action in other arenas, incorporating their heightened awareness into their service to the community. The accessibility of this information would emphasize the important role of each individual in protecting the environment and using resources wisely.

The technology of the twenty-first century enables people to follow the examples set by Jesus and his followers to an even greater degree than in the past. Advances in science, coupled with a greater understanding of energy and the environment, are valuable tools for taking care of God’s creation, his gifts to man. Stewardship is an essential Catholic teaching. As the movement to protect the environment has swept the globe, the Church continues to respond in earnest by strengthening its stance and adopting an active approach. St. Francis Catholic High School students also display great concern for the health of the globe through their daily actions. Already a model in academics, athletics, faith, service, and leadership, St. Francis Catholic High School seeks to set an example by installing photovoltaic solar panels on the campus. Hopefully, St. Francis Catholic High School’ persistent efforts will inspire other Diocesan and community organizations to make a clear statement of where they stand on the issues of stewardship, personal responsibility, and Catholic morals.