FLORENCE -- Pee Dee Electric Cooperative and Santee Cooper have formed the Green Power Solar Schools program in the cooperative territory. Savannah Grove Elementary School has been selected as the Green Power Solar Schools program participant. Green Power is electricity generated by renewable resources like solar and methane gas from decomposing garbage.

The Green Power Solar Schools initiative is designed to encourage interest in the environment and demonstrate the feasibility and limitations of renewable power generation. Each school will receive a 2-kilowatt solar power system, which will provide a teaching, research and hands-on demonstration opportunity for students. A focus of the project is the use of a new renewable energy curriculum designed especially for the program. Each solar installation is supplemented by an Internet-based monitoring system that provides real-time access to information regarding the system’s performance from any Internet-enabled computer.

Savannah Grove Elementary School is the fourth Green Power Solar School in South Carolina. In total, 19 schools in the state will be Green Power Solar Schools.

In late 2005, Santee Cooper announced its plans for the second phase of Green Power, and stated that for the first time in the utility’s history, solar and wind demonstration projects, along with small landfill projects, would be a part of its renewable fuel mix.

In October 2006, Coastal Carolina University became the location of the state’s first Green Power solar site and additional solar installations will be forthcoming.

The first school to receive a solar installation is Hilton Head Middle School served by Palmetto Electric Cooperative and New Ellenton Middle School served by Aiken Electric Cooperative will be dedicated in the fall.  Three more schools will be announced soon served by Berkeley Electric Cooperative, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and Laurens Electric Cooperative.