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Two schools to get solar panels | Wednesday, 20 May 2009 06:09 | | Installation part of plan to have a renewable energy grid across the city's 558 public schoolsNoor Javed TORONTO STAR
Toronto schools will soon become "private generators" as part of a plan to retrofit empty rooftops with solar panels starting this summer. By September, 50 solar panels will cover the roofs of Hillcrest Community School and William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate – the first step toward an ambitious plan to implement a renewable energy grid across the city's 558 public schools. "We have schools in virtually every neighbourhood in the entire city. You have this vacant space on all the rooftops. These would be the perfect locations to really create a green grid across the city," said Toronto trustee Josh Matlow, who will announce the project's launch at a news conference today. Tags: | | Read more... | 
TDSB to install solar panels on school rooftops; educating students while saving tax dollars and the environment | Tuesday, 19 May 2009 06:06 | | For immediate release: Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Media Advisory
TDSB to launch Green Grid renewable energy initiative at Toronto public schools
Solar panels will soon energize school rooftops throughout city- educating students while saving tax dollars and the environment
(Toronto) The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) will launch its Green Grid initiative, installing solar panels on school rooftops and creating green, renewable energy, at Hillcrest Community School on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 11am. Tags: | | Read more... |
April 2009 Planned solar panels at Hillcrest Community School will provide hot water and electricity
By Kris Scheuer, Town Crier
 | | BRIGHT SPOT: The installation of two sets of solar panels at Hillcrest Community School will allow the building to generate some of its own hot water and power. | Hillcrest’s pool users will be swimming in water warmed by the sun as early as next year.
The Toronto District School Board has given the green light for 55 solar panels that will link to a thermal hot water tank. A second initiative, approved in principle, will see the installation of another 50 solar photovoltaic panels to produce energy that will be sold back to Ontario’s power grid.
The solar thermal project will supply 80 percent of the heat for the Bathurst St. and St. Clair Ave. elementary school’s pool and water supply.
This will be one of the largest solar projects in the school board, said Trustee Josh Matlow.
“It’s the first initiative of this size with both solar thermal and solar photovoltaic in the school board’s history,” he said. “I hope this project will inspire more of the same.”
Natural Resources Canada is chipping in $98,000 for the thermal project, with the board adding about $170,000, said Richard Christie, board program coordinator.
It’s estimated it will take about 15 years to recover the board’s investment.
“That will be recovered through savings on natural gas of about $11,500 a year,” Christie said.
The board gave the go-ahead to proceed with the second project, for 50 solar photovoltaic panels. In this case, a report will come back to the board to request about $110,000 for the implementation, said Christie.
The school board can enter into a contract with the Ontario Power Authority to sell all of the energy produced from the electricity-producing cells back to the power grid, making it a revenue generator.
The buy back rate was 42 cents for every kilowatt hour of energy produced. On March 13, the province announced through the Green Energy Act a draft rate increase that would pay 80.2 cents per kilowatt hour for energy from rooftop solar systems the size of the one Hillcrest is proposing.
“We thought it would take 15 years for it to be revenue neutral,” said Matlow. “So now it may only take six or seven years.”
Christie agrees: “The business case is much more solid now.”
The solar electricity project is a 10-kilowatt system that would produce about 12,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year. This works out to about four percent of the energy for a school of Hillcrest’s size, said Christie.
There’s a very good chance all 105 solar panels will be in by December.
Christie is excited about how this project can be used as a teaching model for students.
“What we are doing here is not a small project,” he said. “This will generate real green power.
“We don’t want to just talk to students about the environment. So (now) they can see a real, tangible transformation. They can get excited and positive and see the world can change and they can make the world better.” To see this story, visit: School to make power when the sun shines
Toronto Town Crier Newspapers Green Grid project-Proposed Hillcrest Community Pilot | Friday, 16 January 2009 15:49 | | 
Please review the attachments for your information on Trustee Matlow's proposal for a Green Grid being piloted at Hillcrest. | Creating a "Green Grid" of renewable energy generators at Ontario's schools and communities
Toronto schools to power up rooftops
Catherine Porter , Toronto Star
Dear friends,
This groundbreaking initiative could not have been possible without the leadership of TDSB staff, Sheila Penny, Richard Christie and Carla Kisco, the Ontario ministries of Education and the Environment and Premier Dalton McGuinty.
The TDSB will now be a pilot for the province on creating local community renewable energy generators at public schools.
Thank you to Ministers Kathleen Wynne and Laurel Broten for supporting such a progressive and green idea.
Sincerely,
Josh
EcoKids blog on the TDSB's plans to put windmills and solar panels on the roofs of Toronto schools
EcoKids is Earth Day Canada’s environmental education program for elementary school aged children who care about the planet.
Bright idea to power Toronto schools, curriculum
CBC
School Board Going Green
640 Toronto
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