Environmental Rap and Blue's Brothers Sun Glass Wearing Students Greet Solar Grant Announcement

Portland, ME, April 17, 2008 --(PR.com)-- A saving-the-environment inspired rap and sunshine themed hits sung by a 30 strong, Blue’s Brothers sunglass wearing choir, greeted the news that Portland’s Lincoln Middle School has received a Voluntary Renewable Resources Fund (VRRF) grant for the purchase and installation of solar panels for the school’s Geodesic Dome.

Maine Public Utilities Commissioner Vendean Vafiades presented the VRRF grant certificate for $37,200 today at a ceremony held in the Dome.

The solar panels which will produce approximately 5,200 kilo watt hours of clean electricity annually, will provide the Dome with all its power, heating and cooling needs as well as offset the release of roughly 8,600 lbs of carbon dioxide and other global warming gases into the atmosphere.

The dome, built entirely by students and staff, is a self-sustaining, combined classroom and laboratory for lessons on everything from physics to renewable energy to composting.

The VRRF was established by the Maine Legislature in 2000 and is supported by voluntary contributions made by consumers on their electric bill. The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Efficiency Maine, which manages the VRRF, offers grants of up to $50,000 to qualifying Maine-based nonprofits for the development of projects utilizing renewable resources like wind, water, sun, wood, tides, trash-to-energy, fuel cells and geothermal energy.

Commissioner Vafiades said the Students and school staff’s “spirit of inquiry and can-do attitude” would hopefully be an inspiration and an example to other schools.

“These students are putting into practice cutting-edge solar technology,” Commissioner Vafiades said. “They know that more energy from sunlight strikes the earth in one hour than all the energy consumed on the planet in one year. They are Maine’s future brain trust and will develop technology that will harness the sun’s energy and develop cheap, renewable power for our communities.”

Kathleen Rossi, the Lincoln School Principal said not only had the VRRF grant enabled the geodesic dome to be completely self sufficient, but they also provided another learning tool for the school’s students.

"We are very grateful to the PUC for their support of our school which allows our students yet another rich, authentic learning experience with real life applications in their continuing studies of sustainability. Students will learn science and math and apply new concepts as they work with our new PV panels, learning practices for saving our environment and its precious resources,” she said.

For more information on the Voluntary Renewable Resource Fund, please contact Shirley Bartlett of the PUC at 287-3318 or Shirley.bartlett@maine.gov or visit the MPUC website - www.maine.gov/mpuc/

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For further information contact Pekka Paavonpera on 207 775-5227 or 1631 680 7585.