Newark Board of Education Installs the First Remote Power Unit Off-Grid Wind/Solar LED Street Light in the City of Newark

The Newark Board of Education takes great pride in the upkeep of our campus and adopting cutting edge technologies. We continue to invest in and provide our students and staff with the best facilities and educational experiences possible.

In the fall of 2019, Rodney Williams, Director of Energy & Sustainability of the Newark Board of Education and staff members, met with Aris Wind to discuss renewable energy solutions for the district. They were particularly interested in Aris’ wind and solar powered streetlight that is called a Remote Power Unit (RPU).

“I want to thank Superintendent León and Mr. Steve Morlino for allowing me and my staff to be a part of such a progressive team.  We took advantage of the opportunity to do something beyond the need of light, and our students and community will benefit from years to come,” said Rodney.

After extensive research, the decision was made to locate the RPU outside of the flagship Science Park High School.  The District felt this investment would be a wonderful improvement to the campus landscape and provide a great learning opportunity for the student body.  The RPU is off the grid and will provide resilient power and light. The district plans to incorporate the unit’s wind and solar data into its STEM curriculum at Science Park High School.

“The RPU is an important key that unlocks a wealth of cutting edge 21st Century technology and is aligned with the priorities outlined in our strategic plan, The Next Decade: 2020-30,” said Superintendent of Schools, Roger León.  “The installation of the RPU is the first of its kind to be installed in the City of Newark.  It will teach and expose our students to different ways to be leaders in helping their community become more sustainable,” he added.

The wind turbine and solar panel on the RPU will provide 100% renewable clean energy. Improving the safety and security of the grounds, it will provide power and light, even in the event of a grid outage. The RPU will capture wind and solar energy year-round which can be stored for up to five-days, depending on usage and demand.

The Newark Board of Education is very enthusiastic about the many opportunities this RPU will create for the students to learn about the science of renewable energy.

Dan Connors, COO of Aris Wind commented, “We are very pleased with the opportunity to provide one of our RPU’s to Newark Schools, particularly at this location!   The Science Park team’s commitments to sustainability, their STEM curriculum, and security of their students, is perfectly matched to the RPU.”