Sharp Solar Panels Power Array At Washington DC Sheridan School

The Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., recently flipped the switch on a 3,800

square foot roof-mounted solar power array. This solar installation, comprised of 252

224 watt panels from Sharp Solar, is one of the largest in the District, and it will

provide 56 kilowatts of energy. Working with Rockville, Maryland-based Clean Currents

Solar, Sheridan was able to tap Washington, DC's $2 million-a-year Renewable Energy

Incentive Program (REIP) to help fund the project. The school is expecting a complete

payback of their investment in the solar array within ten years. Sheridan students

are particularly excited by plans to install a digital readout in the lobby of the

school and on the school's Web site that will allow real-time monitoring of the

output from each of the 252 solar panels. This capability is made possible by the

separate micro inverters installed on each of the 15-square-foot panels, a first for

a commercial-scale system in the area.


"Sharp is delighted to be a part of this project that will educate the Sheridan

School's students about renewable energy while simultaneously reducing the school's

carbon footprint," said Eric Hafter, senior vice president of Sharp Solar Energy

Solutions Group. "This project highlights what can be accomplished taking advantage

of the public programs that support the solar industry.  In this case, the Renewable

Energy Incentive Program helps to drive home the importance of renewable energy

sources to students and in turn helps build a greener future.  It's a win for the

students, for the school, for the nation's capital and for the future of our planet,"

he said.

"I'd be hard pressed to think of a better way to teach kids about both sound

environmental stewardship and smart economics than by lighting their learning

experience with solar power," said Lee Keshishian, president of Clean Currents Solar.

"This project, made possible by the partnership of The Sheridan School, Clean

Currents Solar, and the DC government's Renewable Energy Incentive Program, is a

great example of the long-term benefits of solar power to the community and the

environment."


"This project reflects the Sheridan School's long-term commitment to environmental

responsibility and sound economic planning," said Mike Stoll, director of finance and

operations at Sheridan. "At Sheridan, we see value in teaching our students to be

wise caretakers of the planet and responsible members of the community. For us, solar

power was not only the most environmentally responsible option and the best decision

for our students, it also made good economic sense."