If you’re the type of person who takes energy conservation to heart, you’ve probably done a lot to reduce wasted energy. You’ve probably replaced incandescent bulbs with LEDs, upgraded to high-efficiency appliances and might be seriously considering a home solar array or electric vehicle.
Still, there’s more we can do to soften our environmental impact and help support local education at the same time.
Clark Public Utilities makes it possible for customers to offset the environmental impact of energy consumption through the incremental purchase of Renewable Energy Credits. The funds raised from those purchases support regional renewable energy development as well as renewable energy and conservation-focused educational initiatives for students and teachers.
Through Green Lights, utility customers can voluntarily sign up to offset their electricity consumption by purchasing 100 kilowatt-hour blocks of energy use for $1 each, per month. For example, if your monthly energy consumption is 1,000 kWh, you can completely offset your demand for only $10 per month. Or opt for any level of participation starting at just $1. The program is voluntary and flexible for residential and business customers alike. There’s no time commitment and registrants can cancel at any time.
“Contributions from Green Lights participants have supported many projects dedicated to renewable energy and educational programs here in Clark County,” said Clark Public Utilities Energy Services Project Manager Matt Babbitts.
Every dollar collected through the program is evenly split two ways.
Half goes to the purchase of renewable energy credits, which are tradable energy commodities that represent 1 megawatt-hour of electricity produced by a renewable energy source located in the Pacific Northwest, such as wind, solar or biogas facilities.
The other half goes to renewable energy educational activities and programs in local schools designed to educate students about renewable energy and conservation, in partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Clean Energy, Bright Futures program.
For about a decade, Green Lights funds were used to install solar arrays on local schools and a handful of municipal buildings. Additionally, the utility also installed data-monitoring kiosks in host schools and other locations so students could see real-time electrical generation data.
Then, in 2016 the program reached a point where solar arrays were present on schools in every district in Clark County, so the utility pivoted to holding workshops for local teachers on renewable energy and energy conservation. Teachers left the day-long trainings with hands-on learning kits and ways to build relevant curricula around those subjects. And the program dollars reached much further into the community.
“By working with teachers directly we’re able to get the message out to thousands of students every year in ways that align with current standards for STEM education,” Babbitts said.
Solar Car Challenge
Starting last year, the utility worked with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to expand its educational offerings by creating and hosting the Solar Car Challenge. All teachers who participated in the workshops, regardless of the grade levels they instruct, were invited to form student teams to participate in something of a cross between a science fair and pine box derby.
This year Clark Public Utilities distributed about 800 solar car kits to local teachers, who then spend months with students building the fastest, most well-engineered solar- and battery-powered hybrid mini car they can.
Then, over the course of one day, more than 200 teams of two to four students will face off in a tournament race to see whose car is the fastest of all. Students also present their engineering process, work journal and poster board to a group of judges who work locally in technical fields.
At the end of the day, the teams with the highest scores across a variety of categories are awarded trophies and medals for their efforts.
“The Solar Car Challenge gives students a hands-on introduction to engineering and opens their minds to the world of renewable energy technology,” Babbitts said. “It is because of the funding from Green Lights contributions that Clark Public Utilities is able to provide the training and materials for our annual Solar Car Challenge to local students. It wouldn’t be possible without Green Lights business participants like WaferTech and Columbia Credit Union, and all the individual customers who participate.”
Customers can sign up for Green Lights at www.clarkpublicutilities.com, by calling 360-992-3000 or in-person at any Clark Public Utilities location.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
