LexGWAC garnered top honors for outstanding community outreach efforts during this past winter's Solar Panel Challenge at Mass Energy Consumers Alliance's recent 25th Anniversary Gala. The Excellence in Advocacy award recognizes GWAC as a leader in the "Clean Energy Revolution" for their efforts in local climate change actions. Collecting this award on behalf of GWAC were Nancy Nolan, Keith Ohmart, and Kay Tiffany.

The initial goal of the Challenge was to award a 2 kW photovoltaic solar panel array to be installed on a municipal building for every community that succeeded in obtaining donations from 150 families towards the New England Wind Fund. By the time the Challenge period was concluded, Lexington had better than doubled this goal, collecting donations from over 350 families and obtaining for Lexington High School the funds to install a 4 kW array. The number of Lexington donors exceeded that of all other communities participating in the challenge!

Installation of the solar panel array is scheduled for the early spring. The installation will include data acquisition software that will provide both real time and historical data for use by LHS students and faculty in expanding curriculum opportunities for the study of renewable energy projects. Watch for an announcement in the Minuteman for the ribbon cutting for this exciting project.

Mass Energy, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Technology Council, sponsored the Solar Panel Challenge as a means of encouraging individuals across the Commonwealth to invest in Mass Energy's New England Wind Fund. The New England Wind Fund is dedicated to providing the financial support needed for wind power development here in New England. To learn more about Mass Energy's New England Wind Fund or to make a donation, visit www.newenglandwind.org.