[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20170]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE PARTNERSHIP OF RACHEL CARSON MIDDLE SCHOOL AND DOMINION 
                                 POWER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2011

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 
partnership of Rachel Carson Middle School and Dominion Power in 
efforts to support green energy.
  Through their partnership, Carson Middle School was able to recently 
install on its roof an array of 11 photovoltaic solar panels, which 
have already generated over 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity--enough 
to power a house for more than a month.
  Rachel Carson Middle School is a Fairfax County public school with 
over 1200 students. The solar project was initiated in the spring of 
2009 and driven by a group of former eighth grade students, its teacher 
sponsor, Mr. Kirk Treakle, and its Going Green Club, formerly 
established as Carson FREE--which stands for Future Renewable Energy 
Effort. The group was established in hopes that solar electric would be 
used in addition to several other prospective forms of renewable energy 
at school. The Going Green Club is researching wind, geothermal, solar 
thermal, and algae oil as future possibilities. The solar project was 
funded by grants from Dominion Power, the Earth Day Network, Lowe's, 
and InterfaceFLOR as well as donations from InScope International, 
Katydid Inc., the Carson PTA, and other individuals with no taxpayer 
money used.
  The photovoltaic panels are ``grid-tied'' so the electricity they 
produce helps power the school and decreases the amount of electricity 
that must be generated by other means, reducing pollution. While 
serving as a clean energy resource, the photovoltaic system is also 
used as an accessible, educational resource with students participating 
in an energy workshop using the new photovoltaic installation and 
online data logger. The system's connections to the science curriculum 
in areas of energy, electricity, and the environment serve as great 
additions to the school.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the 
partnership of Rachel Carson Middle School and Dominion Power. 
Together, they have succeeded in taking a great step towards cleaner 
energy for the future. I extend my congratulations to the school and 
thank Rachel Carson Middle School and Dominion Power for their valuable 
efforts.

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