In a small community located just north of the San Francisco Bay an 8 year old boy refused to take no for an answer. Taren Bouwman, a student at Mary E. Silveira Elementary School in Marin County, California, had a goal to help his school convert from traditional power sources to solar power. Taren and his classmates researched what it would take to bring solar power to the school. Then they took their presentation to the school board, where it was well received. The idea of powering a school completely with a free, renewable power source was an attractive idea that in the end would bring great cost savings to the school district.

Encouraged, Taren decided to take his idea beyond theory by meeting with solar vendors and inviting a solar contractor to visit the site. Taren understood that in order to make this project work it was necessary to involve professionals from the solar industry. As much as the school board wanted to support Taren’s dream, they were forced to face the economic realities. While solar energy is free, the start up costs for installation of solar panels was a challenge that needed to be overcome. Fortunately, a large philanthropic organization, the Marin Community Foundation, stepped forward with a $400,000 grant that will allow the school district to put solar panels not only on the roof of the Mary E. Sliverira Elementary school, but on the other three schools in the district as well!

"For us, the whole issue of local actions relative to climate change is one of our four major initiatives over the next five years," said Thomas Peters, president and CEO of the Novato-based Marin Community Foundation. "We were thrilled to work with the district." Officials from the foundation are hoping that the school district model will encourage other organizations to follow suit and convert their buildings to solar power.

Because Taren Bouwman didn’t stop trying when he encountered road blocks, and because school officials understood the importance of adopting free and renewable solar power, the district will soon be able to generate 80% of its electrical needs from the energy given off by the sun.

It all began when an eight year old boy had an idea that would make a difference in the community he lived. Instead of discarding the idea, he chose to learn all could about solar power, and then share his knowledge with the influential people around him. As those people saw the vision and caught the spirit of making a difference the idea snowballed until the entire community became involved. And now, three years later, the school district has hired a licensed solar contractor to install the panels on the roofs of its four schools, beginning in April 2010. Six weeks later, the dream of Taren Bouwman and his classmates will come true as they are able to flip the switch and draw power for their school from the sun.