Print

October 25, 2011

First Canyon County Solar 4R Schools Project

NAMPA, Idaho – At an event in Nampa today, representatives from Idaho Power and Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), along with Idaho Arts Charter School administration and students celebrated the installation of their new Solar 4R Schools energy system.

Jackie Collins, principal of Idaho Arts Charter School, received a giant commemorative “sun” plaque from Idaho Power Regional Customer Relations Manager Jake Perryman during a school assembly. The celebration included a performance of “Here Comes The Sun” by yellow-clad students welcoming their new solar project.

"Receiving this grant will allow our students to have a ‘hands on’ ability to learn about solar power,” said Collins. “Using new technology to analyze and compare solar and electric power will excite the students at Idaho Arts Charter for many years. Students are also always interested in ways to help reduce our footprint on the earth."

BEF representatives participated in the event, as well as provided students with an introduction to solar technology, followed by training for teachers. Students will use a classroom kit and curriculum from BEF to learn about solar energy and renewable resources. And with data monitoring through BEF, students will be able to see their system’s energy production online at www.solar4rschools.org.

“BEF is happy to once again be working with Idaho Power to further our joint educational mission.  We’re excited to bring the program into Nampa and to bring this new technology into the Idaho program,” said Craig Collins, the Solar 4R Schools Program Manager at BEF.

Of the 14 schools currently participating in Idaho Power’s Solar 4R Schools program, this is the first system to feature thin film solar technology. The annual output of the 1.792 kilowatt (kW) system is estimated to be enough to power a home for about two months. Thin film panels are light, flexible and can be mounted directly to the roof without hardware or racking. Students will compare their system with the traditional installations at other schools participating in the program.

Solar 4R Schools installations are funded through the generous support of participants in Idaho Power’s Green Power Program, a voluntary program for customers wishing to support the growth and development of renewable resources.

About IDACORP, Inc.:

IDACORP, Inc. (NYSE: IDA), Boise, Idaho-based and formed in 1998, is a holding company comprised of Idaho Power Company, a regulated electric utility; IDACORP Financial, a holder of affordable housing projects and other real estate investments; and Ida-West Energy, an operator of small hydroelectric generation projects that satisfy the requirements of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. IDACORP’s origins lie with Idaho Power and operations beginning in 1916. Today, Idaho Power employs approximately 2,000 people to serve a 24,000 square-mile service area in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. With 17 low-cost hydroelectric projects as the core of its generation portfolio, Idaho Power’s 492,000 residential, business and agricultural customers pay some of the nation’s lowest prices for electricity. To learn more about Idaho Power or IDACORP, visit www.idahopower.com or www.idacorpinc.com.

Contact:
Anne Alenskis, Corporate Communications Specialist, Idaho Power
(208) 388-2460 or aalenskis@idahopower.com