R.E. Jewell Elementary students to learn about solar energy, celebrate completion of solar array

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- On Friday, fifth-graders at R.E. Jewell Elementary School in southeast Bend will take a deep dive lesson into solar energy, learn about how it's generated and get to build their own solar-powered cars as part of a celebration of the school’s new grant-funded solar array.

The solar array is expected to produce 56 megawatt hours of electricity annually and is on the roof of the school’s new multi-purpose building, funded by the 2017 construction bond.

“I’m excited to walk students through how solar panels work and check out the monitoring system so students can see just how much energy their school is generating each day,” said Jackie Mueller, Sustainability and Energy Specialist with Bend-La Pine Schools. “We are thrilled to celebrate the completion of this project, which will save the district energy costs and allow our schools to dedicate more of our budget to our core mission of educating children.”

This project was made possible with funding support from Pacific Power’s Blue Sky program participants.