Somers Solar Power Array at Twenty

In early 2015, New York Governor George Pataki set a goal by 2020 to have 15% of all schools utilizing renewable energy. The accompanying program was called K-solar, and its official launch last spring probably went unnoticed by many in the town of Somers. This despite the proximity of the gubernatorial announcement.

“New York State considers Somers High School a leader in solar power so they came here to kick off the program,” said Somers High School Earth Science Teacher Brian Hugick.

The teacher is specifically referring to the two solar power arrays on the high school school grounds. As for the educator's role, Hugick’s background in construction provided the reflection he needed to turn his interest in the environment and sustainability into a renewable reality. “I saw that New York State was starting a solar power pilot program and Assistant Principal Kenneth Crowley gave me the go ahead,” said the teacher of the first array set up in 2002.

Hugick put together the proposal for the state, and the high school received a grant from NYSERDA. “The two kilowatt system can light up two or three classrooms and/or the computer room,” said the 15 year Somers High School teacher.

The total cost came in about $2,000 and is expected to last at least 20 years. The finances and time frame aside, the setup simply involved feeding the Solar DC current to an AC current converter, and feeding two 20 amp circuits into the circuit board.

To make the system more accessible to the curriculum and the students, Hugick had the array positioned on the ground. “A lot of people put them on the roof and educators can’t show them to anyone,” he revealed.

Renewable energy one of the topics in the Somers curriculum, the glare on the south side of the school grounds crystalizes the concept of nuclear fusion. “The system helps in discussing how a photon of energy is absorbed and produced,” said Hugick.

Otherwise, system data is stored online in Albany and records daily solar output, energy output, wind speed and air temperature. This, for instance, lets students get their hands on the concept of maximum sunlight, and the yearly cycles that position the sun in the sky above. “It’s nice to show them the data, and how the information supports the daily cycle,” informed Hugick.

Beyond the classroom, sustainability and environmental science clubs piggyback on Hugick’s enlightened initiative. “The project really helps students make sense of what they are trying to achieve as conservationists,” Hugick asserted.

At the same time, pragmatics become part of the exercise too. Sunlight diminished in winter, solar power can become unworkable energy source. That is until the cold winds are added in. “So for a homeowner, a smaller wind turbine can make the system self sustainable,” the scientist/teacher said.

Somers, on the other hand, is not currently on that path. The school will hit their peak power in 2009 when NYSERDA provided for a 50 kilowatt roof array that accounts for .5% of the school’s energy needs. “We did not qualify for a K-Solar grant because too much of our roof would have to be replaced. Unfortunately, the necessary logistics would make the project unviable,” said Crowley.

Thus, leaving others to pick up where the high school is currently forced to veer off. Either way, Crowley is sure that the solar program energizes the students. “I see how kids are inspired – especially through the various green and environmental clubs that deal with energy and sustainability,” the Assistant Principal concluded.

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