East Side Union High School District

East Side High School District has the nation's largest educational agency solar power program, with 7.1 megawatts of solar photovoltaic arrays that generate clean electricity.  Our solar power production has allowed us to reduce our electricity expenditures by over $20.3 million to date.  Our local electricity production reduces the burden on the State's overtaxed power grid, and is more efficient due to elimination of transmission line loss.

East Side's commitment to energy leadership has resulted in:

Our solar power generating facilities have been used to provide custom educational programming, including:

• 31 teachers have been trained in hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) lessons for their students.  Inquiry-based and literacy-infused sessions reinforce skills critical to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards implementation.
• Summer internships immerse teachers in emerging clean energy and construction careers.
• Internships through S4CA (Santa Clara County Construction Careers Association) offer real world construction experience to East Side students.
• Classroom tours of solar photovoltaic installation sites.
• Over 1,000 students have been exposed to hands-on, energy-related lessons and activities.
• Analysis of East Side energy consumption helps students understand their environmental impact - and why it matters.
• Student-led energy awareness activities help make energy efficiency measures more "visible" and connect school modernization to campus life.

Energy conservation on our school campuses is helping to reduce environmental stress on our region.  Energy is one of the District's most rapidly rising operating expenses. In addition to reducing environmental stress on regional energy resources, energy conservation is also important to the District as a means of reducing costs.  The District has responded to these challenges by adopting a rigorous energy conservation policy.