The Sun Always Shines at Summit High with New Solar Panels

The city of Summit is now more environmentally friendly: a new solar panel system on top of Summit High School provides 1 kilowatt of energy, enough to power a handful of classrooms a day. Even better, the panels cost the school board and the Summit taxpayers nothing. And it's due in large part to the efforts of SHS junior Justin Cyrus.

"I wanted to show people you don't have to wait (for renewable energy); you can do it now," said the 17-year-old.

The five panel array is visible from Kent Place Boulevard and is, according to Cyrus, "designed to be seen." The panels also utilize a brand new technology called microinverters. Traditional arrays share one inverter, which means if one panel is not operating at peak efficiency, it drags down the efficiency of all the other panels. Each cell on the unit atop SHS has its own inverter–a microinverter–so each individual cell can operate as efficiently as possible and independently of the other cells.

"We're putting the breakthrough technology on Summit High School," said Cyrus, adding that because there is more interest in renewable energy now than ever before, the technology is advancing rapidly.

A New Jersey-based company called Sunlight Photonics donated the $18,000 SHS system free of charge. Cyrus worked for SP this summer and, when he heard the company planned to donate a system, encouraged them to donate it to Summit. Sunlight agreed and Cyrus, with help from his brother Julian, currently a freshman engineering student at the University of Texas, set about convincing the school board.

"We had to show the school board it was good for the community of Summit," said the three-sport athlete and member of the SHS band and Robotics club. "Summit has been really accepting (of the project). We did not meet any opposition and everything went smoothly."

"I think it is wonderful when a student takes on such a project," said Mayor Jordan Glatt in an e-mail to Patch. " I have been saying the next generation understands and appreciates the importance of sustainability more than my generation and is willing to commit personal and financial resources towards it. (Justin) is such an example."

Cyrus is not content to call it a job well done after one success. He is putting together plans for a 50 kilowatt system and hopes to present it to the city within a month. He believes SHS could be entirely solar powered within 15 years.

Cyrus's plans may coincide with the city's; at a March 11 board of education meeting, there was talk about drafting a request for proposal to find vendors interested in providing solar energy to Summit.

According to Environmental Commission chairperson Marian Glenn, the city is in the process of drafting a RFP that would invite companies to bid on a Purchase Power Agreement. The winning company will essentially rent roof space on six city buildings and six schools, build a 2 megawatt solar panel system split up among the 12 buildings, and sell the generated energy back to the city at a reduced Rate. Glenn thinks the RFP will be ready to go out in a matter of months.  

 Cyrus believes Summit High School was the perfect place to start. The panels are attached to computers so environmental science classes can monitor their operation. Cyrus is excited that his project is being used as a teaching tool.

"If it gets out to the students, it gets out to the community," he said.