HILLCREST COMMUNITY SCHOOL was the first in the city selected to participate in a new solar initiative by the Toronto District School Board.
On May 20, the school board kicked off its Green Grid project at the school, near St. Clair Avenue West and Bathurst Street, by installing solar panels on the the rooftops of the school.
“Hillcrest was selected because more than two years ago we were approached by the community,” said Richard Christie, the program co- ordinator of ecological literacy and sustainable development with the TDSB.
A solar thermal system will provide 80 per cent of the heat for the school’s pool and the domestic hot water within the school. And a solar photovoltaic system — more commonly known as a solar PV system — will use sunlight to generate electricity.
The school board considered installing solar PV systems in 11 schools at a meeting on May 27. If the pilot project moves forward, Christie said the environmental impact would be significant.
“What I say to people is that if you take the 11 proposed projects what it means is that we’ll be generating 132,000 kilowatts — that’s enough to take a small school off the grid.”
