Giving Compass' Take:

• Amelia Harper reports that Maize High School in Kansas is switching to solar energy to save money, reduce emissions, and educate the public about the technology. 

• How can funders help schools identify and implement cost-effective clean-energy projects like this one?  

• Learn more about the benefits of solar technology for schools. 

Maize High School in Sedgwick County, Kansas, recently went live with one of the state’s largest privately owned solar power grids — a 720-solar-panel, 240-kilowatt system — after raising $160,000 of the roughly $400,000 cost, with the rest was financed through a partnership with a local ethanol plant. After the system is paid for, the school expects to save more than $30,000 a year in energy spending, The Wichita Eagle reports.

The plan is also expected to reduce carbon emissions by about 240 tons and has drawn a great deal of support from students especially, who view helping with this project as a way to do something positive for the environment and stave off the effects of climate change.

The idea was set in motion by Stan Bergkamp, the school’s physics and chemistry teacher, who sees the project as a way to educate students about sustainable energy resources while doing something practical to help both the school and the environment. The school plans to hold a “Solar Fest” later this month to not only celebrate the project, but to allow community members to walk around the panels and become better educated about the benefits of solar energy.

Read the full article about Maize High School by Amelia Harper at Education Dive.