In order to provide Hawaiian schools with air conditioning, the Hawaiian State Department of Education has commissioned Tesla to help address the island’s energy needs.
Hawaii may be beautiful and rich in culture, but the island’s isolation distance from the mainland means that it often has trouble producing the energy it needs. Nearly 94 percent of the island’s power is produced by non-renewable resources such as coal. In addition to the harmful environmental effects, this can make power extremely expensive.
Unfortunately, Hawaiian schools, like many others around the country, are on a tight budget and often have trouble providing their classrooms with AC. The island chain’s high humidity, compounded with average temperature of 85 degrees, can make it difficult for students to focus on their lessons.
In order to address this issue, CNET has reported that the state’s governor ordered the Hawaiian State Department of Education to come up with a solution to this problem and find a way to cool 1,000 classrooms. The catch is that they must do this without increasing their electricity consumption. This is where Tesla stepped in to provide a solution.
Using a combination of 3oo Powerwall batteries and a number of solar panels, Elon Musk’s company was able to provide 1,000 Hawaiian classrooms with affordable AC, making it easier for students and teachers to focus more on their lessons and less on contemplating a trip to Gnome, Alaska.
While Tesla is best known for its electric cars, the company has made some major strides in the areas of renewable energy and has often partnered with governments and charitable organizations to provide low-cost energy to those in need. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Musk spoke with the government of Puerto Rico about using his company’s Powerwall technology to help rebuild the island’s power grid. He has also donated solar panels to low-income Americans, and works with GRID Alternatives to help people find work in the growing solar industry.
In terms of the company’s government partnerships, Tesla recently entered into an agreement with the Canadian government and Nova Scotia Power to test the effectiveness of the company’s home power batteries on reducing customer’s dependency on traditional power grids.
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