Green commission makes plans for solar panels

Following in the footsteps of many other high schools in the area, the school is now seriously considering installing solar panels in the front parking lot. The Green Commission met with the district board on April 9 to discuss this possibility after hours of research and planning. 

Commenting on the meeting, superintendent Bob Mistele said, “I can’t emphasize enough how important and timely it was to have students come and do such a fine job of presenting their vantage point, and I think we were all very impressed with the information they provided.”

Several issues arose after the idea was presented, including aesthetic and financial concerns of the district. However, Mistele said that the main concern of many board members was about how the solar panels would change the look of the campus. 

“I think it was feedback that board members had gotten from community members who have been by other high schools like Homestead, and seeing what [solar panels] aesthetically would do to the view and the vision of the school,” Mistele said.

In order to tackle the problem, sophomore Supriya Khandekar said the commission is planning on creating an image to preview what the final product would look like.

 “We are trying to persuade everyone, [that the] look the solar panels create will be very sleek and modern; it won’t be bulky,” Khandekar said. “Especially with a good design where we could work with an architect, it would not take away anything from the school.”

However, Mistele said that the issue of aesthetics has not been resolved at the board level yet. 

In addition, senior head commissioner Sasan Saadat said the financial burden that the costly project places has also been cause for concern.

“It is a very pricey endeavor to survey the parking lot, get district approval, hire all the labor and equipment and go through the construction of installing multicrystalline photovoltaic cells,” Saadat said.

Mistele added that a possible funding source could be money from redevelopment agencies.

Despite the board’s concerns, commissioners contend that some short-term costs are necessary for long-term benefits.

“There's the obvious environmental benefit of getting energy from a renewable, clean source, as opposed to non-renewable coal and gas which are detrimental to our air and oceans,” Saadat said. “There are also huge financial benefits, such as the fact that after 15 years, you make back all the money you spend on installation through energy cost reductions.”

Saadat added that shaded parking lots result in cooler cars during hot weather, which reduces the need for air conditioning.

Although many board members and Saratoga citizens are still worried about the issues the solar panels present, senior head commissioner Shireen Kaul said that they are still continuing to push for the idea.

“I think right now, we’re just trying to make sure that they remember that it’s on our mind,” Kaul said. “We want to keep it in [the board’s] horizon that we’re trying to get solar panels.”

According to Mistele, the board is open to green ideas, but cannot take any further action on solar panels until financial and aesthetic issues have been ironed out. The next step, he explained, would be to research the logistics in more detail, before a decision can be made. 

Meanwhile, Mistele said he hopes the board will stay in touch with the Green Commission.

“I think that the student voice is also important in this topic,” Mistele said. “Following up with the Green Team, I want to continue that dialogue with them and see where we’re going to be in the fall.”