School gets solar panel for power, education

By Rusty Ray
WBTW Anchor/Producer
Published: October 10, 2008

Sixth graders at Aynor Middle School have an advantage over other middle schoolers in Horry County: not only do they have a brand-new 2-kilowatt solar panel to help power part of their 6-year-old school building, but now they are able to see just how much power that panel generates as compared to other schools statewide.
It’s all part of the Green Power Schools Initiative, presented in part by Horry Electric Co-Operative and Santee Cooper.
The electric companies presented the solar panel at a ceremony Friday morning outside the school, flanked by hundreds of sixth graders.
The panel will teach the students about renewable energy sources.
Ten schools statewide have similar panels and programs, and they’re all connected online to measure how much energy each panel and each school generates.
“The students at this age are understanding that, and, as they go forward, they can help, not only if they become scientists or engineers,“ said R.M. Singletary, Senior Vice Presidential of Corporate Services for Santee Cooper.
“(The students know) how renewables can be added to the energy mix across the country. I think it’ll be good for everybody going forward,“ Singletary said.