With the climate crisis becoming increasingly more concerning, schools in the surrounding towns have found creative ways to implement more sustainable systems. One common proposal is a solar canopy. Solar panels can be difficult, as they often take up a lot of space. Constructing panels on buildings is also often not as simple as it seems, as the direction of the building in relation to the sun greatly affects the efficiency of the system. However, solar canopies provide unique solutions to these problems. Constructing solar canopies above parking lots takes up practically no space at all. The panels are also not constrained by the direction of the building, meaning they can be tilted in whatever direction makes them the most efficient.
Following the lead of many surrounding towns like Wayland, Lexington, and Ashland, the Needham High School Environmental Action Club, EAC, is spearheading the process of constructing a solar canopy in Needham. The initial idea was to build solar panels on the high school roof, but as previously mentioned, the direction of the school was not quite fit for this. Thus, in early 2020, the focus switched to a solar canopy. For the past year, the students of the EAC, led by co-presidents Nicolette Gravlin and Sophia D’Amelio, treasurer Christine Mittaz, and secretary Alana Kierstead, has been working to progress the project.
For the most part, the primary job of the students has been outreach. Nicolette, Sophia, Christine, and Alana have met with what has taken on the title of the outreach team numerous times. The committee includes: Michael Greis, President of Green Needham and member of the School Community; Ed Quinlan, Green Needham member; and Maurice Handel, former member of the Select Board, among others. The EAC Leadership team has also made two infographics and a video to advertise the project. In recent weeks, Nicolette, Sophia, and Christine presented first in front the School Committee, and then the Town Select Board. After the presentations, both groups choose to support the project.
The high school is the town’s greatest user of energy, and the canopy could generate more than 25% of the energy it needs to operate. Along with that, the project has countless other benefits. The canopy would reduce environmentally-damaging runoff by safely directing rainwater and snow into the ground. Similarly, by directing this runoff, the canopy would also protect cars from inclement weather, and it will shade cars from heat and sun. Needham recently became a Green Community, and this project would help our town fulfill this commitment. From an energy standpoint, the panels could generate the energy to power over 66 million smartphones. In addition to the environmental benefits, the project would also help create Massachusetts jobs.
Despite all the benefits, the initiation of the project has not been all smooth sailing. In recent months, the group has had discussions with the Needham Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Public Works and the school’s transportation department. In these discussions, one major concern that has emerged is the Fourth of July fireworks. The current location where the fireworks are set off conflicts with the planned location of the canopy. Even moving the fireworks slightly could still cause debris to land on the canopy, which would be difficult to clean and could possibly harm the panels.
This concern has led to the exploration of constructing a canopy at Newman Elementary School as well. The large, open lot there has yet to raise any concerns. With more research, there are many other lots in Needham that could also possibly be home to canopies in the future. After working through the concerns, the goal is to construct the canopy during the summer of 2022. Once built, the canopy will serve not only as an energy source but also a constant reminder of our community’s goal of sustainability.