Northeast Middle School paves the way for energy efficiency

Northeast Middle School hosted their Flip the Switch ceremony this morning after the completion of their energy efficiency project of having solar panels installed. Northeast is the first K-12 large-scale solar panel project in Mississippi.

“So we're having a flip the switch ceremony within integrity here at our Northeast Middle School campus. We have 688 solar panels, which is the largest display in K, twelve in Mississippi. We're just excited about the possibilities with solar,” said Dr. John- Mark Cain, Superintendent of Lauderdale County Schools.

The Superintendents said installing the solar panels was a way for them to be more efficient and a way to introduce new technology to the area as well as help save taxpayers money.

“We're looking for ways to introduce our students to a new technology that we see growing not only in Mississippi but around the world. And we were just happy to be one of the first to be able to do it here in the state of Mississippi,” said Cain.

Mickey Perez the project manager for the project gives us a little insight into how the solar panels will power the school.

“It is tied into the meter that feeds the entire campus and it will at peak production get up as high as 80% of the school load,” stated Perez

Perez says Entegrity has done other energy-saving contracts on other schools in the District of Mississippi but Lauderdale was the biggest project.

“We are currently on Kevin County School District, Atala County School District, Kemper County School District. So, Lauderdale was our 1st, 1st large-scale ESPC project and we have just kind of taken off from there,” said Perez