How the Sun Powers a School

When you flip on a classroom light, where does the power come from? At Roosevelt Elementary, some of it comes from the sun. Twelve rows of solar panels sit on the school's roof, quietly turning sunlight into electricity.

Each panel is made of small squares called cells. When sunlight hits a cell, it shakes electrons loose. Those electrons flow through wires and become electric current — the same kind of current that powers computers, lights, and the pencil sharpener next to the teacher's desk.

On sunny days, the panels can generate more energy than the school uses. The extra power flows back into the neighborhood's electric grid. Roosevelt's principal calls the roof 'our quietest teacher' — a rooftop lesson in science, engineering, and responsibility.