Oct. 19, 2021

WHAT:
Students at Poe Middle School (SAISD) will take a field trip to Rush Enterprises Peterbilt Trucking Center to study the company’s massive carport solar system as part of their participation in the national Renew our Schools (RNoS) energy competition. Big Sun Solar, the company that installed and manages the Rush solar installation, will lead the students’ tour. 

Poe Middle School is the only school in Texas to compete in the national competition. By visiting an energy production facility, the students will earn points toward winning a $2,500 prize. 

WHERE/WHEN:
• Wednesday, Oct. 20
• 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
• Rush Enterprises Peterbilt Trucking Center, 8922 I-10 Frontage Rd, Converse, TX 78109, (map)

WHO:
• 25 students from Edgar Allen Poe Middle School
• Aaron Stein, Director of Energy and Sustainability, San Antonio ISD 
• Andrew Wood, Shelbi Jary, Brian Regnier, Big Sun Solar

VISUALS & BACKGROUND: 
Students will tour the production facility and review live production data at the 1.3-megawatt Big Sun Solar carport solar array that includes 3,500 solar panels and generates 1.8 million kWh per year, sending energy to the local power grid to supply electricity for 125 homes each year. In addition, a portion of the energy generated by the carport solar system is directly offsetting Rush Enterprise’s onsite electrical costs providing shade for 181 semi-tractor trailers. To see the Big Sun Solar installation at Rush Enterprises Trucking Center, visit https://www.bigsunsolar.com/customers/rush. 

Renew our Schools is a five-week energy conservation competition that gets students and staff in schools across the nation excited about responsible energy use. To learn more about the Poe Middle School students’ participation in the competition visit: https://www.saisd.net/page/article/971.