The Parkway School District dedicated its 825-kilowatt solar-energy system, installed as 25-kilowatt systems across 33 buildings throughout the District, with an event hosted at the Pierremont Elementary gymnasium at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 1215 Dauphine Lane.

More than 400 students donned bright orange sunglasses as they celebrated alongside parents, teachers and dignitaries. The dedication also included a student-run demonstration of Pierremont’s solar monitoring system and a solar-infused art contest. Pierremont debuted the online monitoring that will give each school access to the data from their solar system via the school intranet.

The Parkway School District is leasing the solar-panel systems from Brightergy, a clean-energy company officed in Webster Groves. Brightergy’s BrighterSchools™ program offers the BrighterLease™, BrighterClassroom™ - an accredited program that consists of professional development workshops, classroom lessons, a service learning project and BrighterConversation™, a social media community for students, teachers and parents to talk about solar in their schools. Accounts of Parkway’s integration with solar energy can be followed at Tumblr blog ParkwaySchoolsGoingSolar (http://parkwayschoolsgoingsolar.tumblr.com) or by following hashtag #mysolarschool on Twitter.

Parkway is the first in Missouri to adopt solar energy across a school district, also making the district-wide system the largest rooftop solar project in the state of Missouri. Parkway’s solar panels will offset 2.2 percent of the district’s total annual electric use; this is estimated to save the district as much as $14,194 in the first year and more than $1.4 million over the 20-year lifetime of the BrighterLease™.

The aggregate system will also prevent the release of 15,048 metric tons of carbon dioxide over 20 years. This is the environmental equivalent of not burning over 1.6 million gallons of gasoline or planting nearly 385,000 tree seedlings*. A visualization of this data can be downloaded at http://brightergy.com/parkwayinfographic.

Quote, Attributable to Keith Marty, Superintendent, Parkway School District

"We're very excited about this solar project. Not only will it save money and help the environment, but our students will benefit in the classroom as well."

Quote, Attributable to Cindy Bambini, St. Louis Development Specialist, Brightergy

"Installing a solar system on every school in the Parkway School District is a dream come true for me, on a personal and professional level, and for Brightergy. There quite simply is no better way to share the power of solar energy in Missouri than by putting it atop the classrooms of over 17,000 students in St. Louis County."

About Brightergy

Brightergy is a clean-energy company. We reduce organizations’ electric bills with solar power - so they save money from day one, control future costs and build a reputation as an organization making an impact. Our extensive experience includes hundreds of projects for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies and utilities to non-profits and mid-sized businesses. Brightergy is headquartered in Kansas City, with offices in St. Louis and Boston. We currently serve the Massachusetts and Missouri solar markets and can be found at http://brightergy.com.

Quote, Attributable to Keith Marty, Superintendent, Parkway School District "We're very excited about this solar project. Not only will it save money and help the environment, but our students will benefit in the classroom as well." Quote, Attributable to Cindy Bambini, St. Louis Development Specialist, Brightergy "Installing a solar system on every school in the Parkway School District is a dream come true for me, on a personal and professional level, and for Brightergy. There quite simply is no better way to share the power of solar energy in Missouri than by putting it atop the classrooms of over 17,000 students in St. Louis County."