Petoskey High School Sustainability Club raises $19,000 for solar panels

Members of the Sustainability Club addressed the Board of Education during their June 20 meeting to discuss fundraising for the solar array, which will cover a small portion of the district’s electricity use before planning for a full system to cover the entire district.

For a proof-of-concept array, the Sustainability Club raised a total of $19,000, they said during the meeting. The district agreed to match all donations, bringing the total to $38,000. In addition, the district is considering including a 40 percent tax rebate – provided through the Inflation Reduction Act – in the funding, which would allow the district to obtain a system that costs up to around $63,000, the students said.

“What this would look like is the district buying a larger facility up front and then getting a check from the government to reimburse them for the cost of that facility come tax season,” said Tommy Skinner, a recent graduate and member of the Sustainability Club, during the presentation. “Then you have a larger system that can provide a better return in the future.”