Lakeshore Middle School, Grand Haven, Michigan

Teaching students about energy, ecology, and the energy economy at Lakeshore Middle School in Grand Haven, Michigan, is facilitated by an Ovonic™ Energy System. In this classroom, ECD Ovonics' enabling technology can be found in our UNI-SOLAR® photovoltaic (PV) products which are integrated with ECD Ovonics' nickel metal hydride (NiMH) Ovonic™ batteries. This system provides a reliable independent power supply for the middle school science classroom.

This classroom literally runs on the power of the sun. The room's wall power outlets have been re-wired to the Ovonic™ Energy System. This is an example of how practical distributed generation has become with ECD Ovonics' pioneering energy innovations. The six UNI-SOLAR® panels provide nearly 400 watts of continuous power and yet take up a space only about half the length of the classroom's outside wall. The PV system is backed up by four Ovonic™ advanced NiMH batteries, which store 5 kilowatt hours of energy. The batteries provide short-term "surge power" needed whenever the power usage in the room exceeds the PV's input power and for keeping the system functioning during a string of snowy winter days.

This system has been in use every school day for over three years. It has never been short of power and never has had a serious call for maintenance or repair.

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United Solar Ovonic is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.