New York City schools will be equipped with new solar cells, providing the facilities with electricity. The government of the Big Apple is supporting the effort with $23 million in funding. An additional $5 million dollars has been awarded by the state for the construction.
The new devices will be installed at two dozen public schools, producing three times the amount of solar energy currently generated in buildings owned by the city.
Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City, announced the new program while standing outside John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx. This facility is one of the first schools in the city to utilize solar energy.
State funds for the program will be procured under the NY-Sun Initiative, championed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
"The planned 6.25 MW of solar power at these 24 installations will result in a reduction of more than [3,100 tons] of greenhouse gas emissions a year, the equivalent of taking over 600 cars off the road every year," the mayor's office reported.
Solar cell installations on the 24 school buildings are part of a plan to add 100 megawatts (MW) of power to city-owned buildings in the Big Apple. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's largest city to 80 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2050.
An environmental curriculum plan will also be paired with the solar cell installations, allowing students to monitor activity of the devices in real time. They will also be able to track the amount of carbon offset into the atmosphere, and instructors will direct students to utilize the tools in environmental reports.
Almost three-quarters of the greenhouse gases produced by the city are produced by buildings. The One City, Built to Last program was developed to install renewable energy sources on all city-owned buildings in the enclave of 8.3 million people.
The mayor envisions a massive plan to retrofit all public buildings and also encourage the private sector to do the same.
Public schols wil recoup the cost of installation by saving $1.7 million a year in electrical costs, according to Stacey Cumberbatch, commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.
Video of the announcement by Mayor de Blasio is available on the NYC Mayor's Office YouTube channel.
