These days, high school students know a lot about solar power. As the need for clean, renewable energy becomes more pressing, the topic is increasingly integrated into school curriculum and lesson plans. Solar power is not a topic of discussion for the future, but a lesson of today.
Or so we discovered this past Earth Day. Last month, SunRun employees visited a handful of Bay Area high schools, including Castilleja High School, San Francisco University High School, and East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy, to speak to students about our current energy crisis and the importance of renewable sources of electricity. We discussed the story of coal, sources of energy, solar power, green jobs, and what the students could do to conserve energy and save the earth from imminent climate change. The students were curious and excited, peppering us with questions and comments. Many of them had already been studying solar energy in their science classes. At East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy, which is relocating next year, the visit ended with the students urging their teachers and administrators to go solar in their new building, “Why can’t we get solar panels for our new building, Mr. B?”
Why can’t we? For this generation of students, the idea of turning away from dirty fossil fuels, such as coal power, and towards the sun for our power is intuitive, a no-brainer. It’s this kind of attitude we all need to adopt to steer our nation to a clean energy economy. How can we secure a sustainable future for our children? Just ask our children.
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