On Friday, September 6th, Exact Solar hosted a ribbon-cutting event at ASPIRA Bilingual Charter Cyber School to unveil their new solar system. After months of planning, the event celebrated the installation and highlighted the positive impact ASPIRA is making in the community.
Exact Solar’s team standing in front of the solar installation at the ribbon-cutting event. From right to left, Stanislav Kvochak, Aaron Nichols, Alyssa Morley, Doug Edwards, Michael Lehane, and David Hammes.
ASPIRA’s Solar System
In early 2024, ASPIRA contracted Exact Solar to install a solar system that fosters STEM education and fights food insecurity. They used two privately funded STEM education grants and solar system components donated by local nonprofits to install a ground-mount solar system and remodel an unused greenhouse on their 35-acre campus. Once the remodel was finished, they installed an aquaponic garden in their greenhouse.
ASPIRA’s new solar-powered greenhouse, with the celebratory ribbon in the foreground.
This closed system now uses 100% renewable energy to grow organic, soil-free produce that students will prepare and serve to parents and staff in an on-site “restaurant.” Since much of ASPIRA’s student population lives in “food deserts” (an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food), this program also provides supplemental nutrition for students who don’t always have access to fresh produce
“If you want to get a student to eat a vegetable, have them grow it themselves.”
– Daniel Pompile, Director of Culinary and Environmental Education at ASPIRA
Once the first crop is harvested, students will sell the produce in a farmers market hosted at the school, learning valuable lessons about entrepreneurship in the process.
Check out ASPIRA’s solar tour below to learn more about this system. The tour features aerial views of the system, as well as insights from Daniel Pompile, Director of Culinary and Environmental Education at ASPIRA, who discusses how ASPIRA funded and built their solar project:
Celebrating ASPIRA’s New Solar System
Congressman Brendan Boyle speaks at the ribbon-cutting with State Representative Anthony Bellmon.
Exact Solar hosted a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate this extraordinary system, inviting local representatives and nonprofits.
The speakers included Pennsylvania State Representative Anthony Bellmon, Congressman Brendan Boyle, ECA’s Executive Director Steve Luxton, ASPIRA’s Director of Culinary and Environmental Education Daniel Pompile, and student leader Najara Walker. Each spoke on how partnerships between schools, nonprofits, and government can benefit students and the environment.
For Brendan Boyle, it was a return to his old stomping grounds, as the building now occupied by ASPIRA was formerly a Catholic school he attended in the 1990s.
“What’s amazing is we’re not just growing plants and fish here; we’re also reducing our carbon footprint.”
– Najara Walker, Student at ASPIRA
ASPIRA Student Najara Walker speaks about ASPIRA’s new solar installation.
Several nonprofits attended as well, with representatives from Generation180, the Philadelphia Solar Energy Association, PennEnvironment, and ECA all coming to show their support.
What’s Next for ASPIRA’s Sustainability Plans
ASPIRA’s Daniel Pompile already has plans to add more clean electricity and growing capacity to their operation. With part of their grant money, Pompile purchased more than 20 hydroponic “grow towers.” These are currently being installed in an unused locker room shower in ASPIRA’s main building. After some electricity upgrades are made to the school building, the grow towers will be brought online.
When all of the towers are up and running in addition to the greenhouse, Pompile believes that the combined output of produce will be as much as four acres of farmland.
Exact Solar is immensely proud to be a part of ASPIRA’s solar journey. Working with partners like ASPIRA is what drives our sense of purpose in what we do.
Exact Solar has years of experience working with local schools, and now that Solar for Schools has passed, we’re fired up to help schools navigate this new funding opportunity and leverage solar technology to educate students in new ways. The Inflation Reduction Act opened up a myriad of benefits for tax-exempt organizations. If you’re a representative of a school, nonprofit, or religious organization, we’d love to walk you through how we could build you a similar system.
Schedule your free consultation today, and let’s get the process started!
