New educational solar panel on St. Croix Educational Complex roof (Photo courtesy of V.I. Energy Office).

St. Croix Educational Complex has an electricity-generating solar panel on its roof that is hooked up to the internet so students can monitor its output, thanks to a donation from Georgia-based OneWorld Sustainable. The entire donation has a face value of roughly $30,000, with the panels and installation worth about $18,000 to $20,000, according to information from the V.I. Energy Office.

While the panels will produce enough electricity to save the school about $120 per month on its utility bills, "its real usefulness is as an educational devise," Energy Office Director Karl Knight said at a short ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the school. "Our children will have exposure to the technology at the earliest age," he said.

Education Commissioner LaVerne Terry said she hoped some students would be inspired by the experience and exposure to think about going on to learn to install alternative power systems and inspire others to think about careers in science and technology.

"We are very excited to be here on St. Croix installing this system so teachers can use the information to educate students, get students thinking about the capabilities and limits of solar energy," said Tim Blackwell, OneWorld chief operating officer.

OneWorld spearheaded the recent 450 kilowatt solar installation at St. Thomas Cyril E. King Airport.