Climate Education
Bright Ideas with Solar Energy
November 18, 2024
A Guide for Middle Schoolers
If you are an educator and want to join the EARTHDAY.ORG network, consider supporting our mission to put climate education into every single classroom around the world and please utilize these free resources on climate education and why it matters.
If you are a teacher in the K – 12 grades please consider utilizing our free guide, The School Guide to Teaching Climate Education, because you can never start teaching students about climate change early enough.
Let’s make the schools sunnier and talk about solar.
What Is Solar Energy?
When you stand in sunlight and it heats your skin, that is solar energy. Have you ever thought about how we can use sunlight to power our schools? That’s what solar energy is all about! Solar energy uses sunlight to create electricity or warm air and water. Here’s how:
- Solar Panels: These are special flat panels designed to catch sunlight and turn it into electricity. They’re usually found on rooftops or in big fields. When sunlight hits the solar cells in the panels, it creates an electrical current that powers things like lights and computers in schools!
- Solar Heating: This method uses sunlight to heat water or air. Special devices called solar collectors absorb sunlight and warm it up. This means schools can have hot water for showers or keep classrooms warm without using as much electricity or gas.
So, even though solar panels and solar heating both use sunlight, they do different things. Solar panels make electricity, while solar heating creates hot water and warm air!
Solar energy is great for schools because it helps save money and keeps the air clean. Why? Well because solar doesn’t create harmful gasses like carbon dioxide or methane, which come from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil.
These gasses can trap heat in the atmosphere around our planet, causing climate change, which makes our planet warmer and can lead to extreme weather. They can also cause air pollution, making it harder for us to breathe and affecting our health.
By using solar energy, we can help fight climate change and protect our Earth for future generations. So, when we power our schools with sunlight, we’re not just saving money; we’re also making the world a better place!
Schools Going Solar
Many schools are now using solar energy. For example, in California, lots of schools have installed solar panels. This helps them save a lot of money on electricity bills and teaches students about being kind to the Earth.
California is a leader in using solar power. Nearly 2,500 schools there have solar panels! Schools like the San Diego Unified School District are saving millions of dollars and showing kids how solar energy works.
It’s not just schools in California that are using solar, but all across the U.S. In Aurora, Illinois West Aurora High School makes the same amount of energy as almost 3,000 pounds of methane and helps reduce CO2 pollution just like planting 806 trees. In Massachusetts, Murray Elementary School has installed solar panels that provide enough energy to power the entire school. In 2010, in Colorado, Denver Public Schools launched a massive solar project, aiming to have solar panels in all their schools. It has been very successful, covering about 10% of their energy needs and saving the district 7% of their energy costs.
These schools are just a few examples of how solar energy is lighting up the educational landscape across the United States.
Awesome Solar Schools Around the World
Here are some schools from different places that use solar energy or teach their students about it:
- The Green School (Bali, Indonesia): This school is one of the most sustainable there is, and solar power is a big part of that. Students at this school got to help install their solar panels and learned how they work in the process!
- Richard Montgomery High School (Maryland, USA): This school has solar panels on its roof that power the school. This has covered almost half of their energy needs while saving the school money – a win-win.
- Danish School of Education (Denmark): This school has solar panels covering the entire building- like diamond Minecraft armor! Not only does the school look like a cool art piece, but this gives students the chance to learn lessons about solar energy and helps students understand how it can help the Earth.
- In Australia, St. Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney has a solar system that generates over 100,000 kWh of clean energy annually.
- Meanwhile, in India, The K. C. Mahindra Education Trust supports solar-powered schools in rural areas, helping to provide electricity to over 10,000 students who previously had limited access to resources.
By harnessing the power of the sun, these schools are not only saving money but also inspiring the next generation to care for the planet!
Learning About Solar Energy
Schools that use solar energy are also able to really teach students all about it. Kids get to do fun projects, like building small solar-powered cars or learning how solar panels work. By having solar around them, students can gain a deeper understanding of how it works and build “Green Muscle Memory”. Let’s build those muscles to save the Earth!
Solar Is Taking Off Globally
Almost 5% of all energy from around the world comes from solar power. Places like the United States and Germany are using a lot of solar power to help the planet. But it is China that is leading in solar energy. As time goes on, we are going to get more energy from solar; it is the fastest growing energy source.
Of course, solar energy isn’t perfect. Making solar panels can use materials that need to be handled carefully, and sometimes the sun doesn’t shine, which can make it a bit tricky. But solar can power a lot without polluting the environment like fossil fuels do.
Wrapping Up on Solar Energy
Solar energy is a fantastic way to use sunlight to make electricity. Schools all over the world are using this cool technology to save money and teach kids about being eco-friendly.
By learning about solar energy and using it in our schools, we can help create a brighter and cleaner future for everyone!
If you are a student and want to learn more about the other renewable energy sources you can here in The Middle Schoolers Guide to Renewable Energy and consider exploring these books:
The Boy Who Harnessed Wind, Young Reader’s Edition by William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer, best for ages 8 to 12
The book takes place in a place where resources are limited. Following the main character, readers experience courage, hope, and resiliency, that comes with determination and ingenuity.
Planet Power: Explore the World’s Renewable Energy by Stacy P. Clark, best for ages 8 to 12
What is renewable energy? Clark discusses wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, and biomass energy—in a way that is both accessible and exciting.
Solar Story by by Allan Drummond, best for ages 4 to 8
This book is based on the origin story of a solar installation in Toucan, Mali. This follows the changes of solar on a community.
Charged: A History of Batteries and Lessons for a Clean Energy Future by James Morton Turner, best for ages 12 to 16
James Turner discusses the extraction of raw materials like lithium and cobalt, the environmental costs of battery production, and the broad scaling of supply chains. He emphasizes the need for sustainable practices in battery innovation. Furthermore, the need for sustainable technologies to meet the demand for electricity.
