Energized to learn

For some, an empty rooftop holds few promises. For La Cañada High School physical science teacher Tom Traeger, it has become the perfect setting for a multifaceted hands-on learning experience in atmospheric conditions, nuclear fusion and solar energy.

In 2008, Traeger addressed a five-page grant proposal to energy company BP in which he detailed how he hoped to use an on-campus solar panel to supplement classroom learning for his earth science and physics sections.

It would also be a joint collaboration with the school’s environmental science Green Club, he added.

“The goal is to meet [state] standards,” Traeger said. “One of them is about energy reaching the top of our atmosphere, and how much energy gets distributed throughout the Earth’s system. In the overall context of teaching energy throughout the standards this is a really good project because it teaches the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy.”

The proposal was approved. Armed with a $10,000 BP check and a $1,000 donation from LCHS parent Mel Woods, Traeger turned to Phat Energy, a La Crescenta-based solar panel installation firm, to get things rolling. Philippe Hartley, general manager of Phat Energy, described the project as a community effort which fused public education and private enterprise.

Hartley and Mike Leininger, assistant superintendent of facilities and operations, spent months negotiating with the Division of the State Architect, which oversees design and construction on all K-12 public school buildings, and Southern California Edison.

In March, Phat Energy hoisted a 1.38 kilowatt array of photovoltaic cells three floors up and installed them on the rooftop of one of the main buildings on campus. In July, after getting final authorization from Edison, the cells were activated.

In optimal conditions, the system generates enough electricity to power 13.8 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. The energy that is generated is transmitted to an inverter display, located at ground level, where teachers and students can view all pertinent data.

In addition, one of the key components of the project is a Web-based service called the Phatlogger, which allows anyone to access the solar panel output data via an Internet connection. In other words, any interested teacher, student or community member can log onto the site at any time and look at how many volts the solar panel is producing.