PALM HARBOR – Progress Energy Florida has selected 10 public schools serving as emergency shelters to receive free solar installations and battery backup systems through the utility’s SunSense Schools program.
This is part of the SunSense solar energy program, which provides no-cost solar installations for up to 10 public schools and one post-secondary institution in Progress Energy Florida’s service territory per year through 2014. Each participating school will receive a 10-kilowatt solar installation with battery backup.
“The SunSense Schools program helps bridge our goal of increasing renewable energy education and adoption with our desire to provide customers the electricity they want and need in all weather conditions,” said Vincent Dolan, Duke Energy state president of Florida. Progress is a subsidiary of Duke. “While we work to make critical resources available to a growing number of the state’s emergency shelters, we’re hopeful some of the bright, young minds exposed to solar energy through our SunSense program will be inspired to become the innovators who determine how Florida’s electricity needs will be met for decades to come.”
Among the schools chosen were Palm Harbor Middle and Sanderlin Middle in St. Pete.