CENTRAL COAST, Calif. -- Schools across the Central Coast are using alternative energy to cut costs.
One school even teaches students to create an entire solar panel and wind turbine.
Every sophomore class, Midland School in Los Olivos teaches its students to create a solar panel to compensate for a percentage of the school's energy.
"About a quarter of campus electricity needs right now are powered with these arrays," says Midland School's Director of Environmental Programming and Curriculum Lise Goddard.
It's part of the school's mission of sustainability but its also helping to significantly reduce its energy costs.
"Midland's electricity bill does drop a little bit," says Goddard.
And they're not the only ones. Five schools have also installed solar panels to minimize costs including Cuesta College, Bauer Speck Elementary, Pacheco Elementary and Pajaro Valley Union School which received solar energy grants.
And Midland is exploring every avenue to become energy independent including teaching its students to build wind turbines.
And although, these methods of alternative energy will take about 10 years to pay for itself, the students say they learn so much more.
"Being socially responsible," says Midland School Prefect Diego Marcogliese.
"And making a difference on smaller scale can make a huge impact out in the real world."
