Tesla Is Cooling Down Classrooms in Hawaii Temperatures in Hawaii get too high for kids to concentrate in class, so Tesla stepped in to give them AC using Powerwalls and solar panels.
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This story originally appeared on PCMag
Getting kids to concentrate in the classroom is tough enough, but add in very high temperatures and the job becomes almost impossible. That's what schools in Hawaii are dealing with: a combination of very high average temperatures and a lack of air conditioning to make sitting in class bearable. However, Tesla is now solving the problem in a very green way.
Tesla has already solved one major problem in Australia using its energy storage systems. Elon Musk's company installed the world's largest lithium-ion battery to ensure South Australia enjoys a reliable power supply. For schools in Hawaii, Tesla's solution is a combination of Powerwalls and solar panels.
As Electrek reports, Hawaii is well-known for its high cost of energy, which in part is why schools aren't outfitted with power-hungry AC units. The problem caused by the high temperatures meant a solution needed to be found, so the Hawaii State Department of Education created a $100 million fund.
$100 million is a lot of money, but it would only pay the energy bill of AC units for so long, and not very long when you consider there well over 2,000 classrooms requiring them. So Tesla got involved and provided a combination of Powerwalls for energy storage and solar panels for energy generation. The end result being energy costs don't increase at all. According to The Garden Island, the fund money also covered, "installing ceiling fans, using nighttime ventilation, painting roofs with heat-reflective coating and extending shade."
So far, 1,190 classrooms have benefited from the Tesla Powerwalls and solar panels combination. A further 1,300 classrooms are set to get AC in the (hopefully) near future. That's great news for children and teachers, but also another big win for Tesla who is proving once again that green energy works.
As an added bonus, children attending these schools now know a lot more about how green energy tech works and will have access to the environmental information produced for use in class projects. The data can also be viewed online at the HIDOE Thermal Comfort Portal.
