Awards were made at IREC's Photovoltaics for You (PV4You) annual meeting here Tuesday night. The meeting was held in conjunction with Forum 2001 - Solar Energy: The Power to Choose, the National Solar Energy Council's annual forum for the exchange of information about advances in solar technologies, programs and concepts. IREC was one of 12 renewable energy organizations sponsoring Forum 2001.

The two AEP-supported programs cited by IREC were Watts on Schools and Ohio Schools Going Solar. The Watts on Schools program in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana is managed on behalf of AEP by CSG Services, an energy management consulting firm in Austin, Texas. Accepting the award for Ohio Schools Going Solar was the Foundation for Environmental Education of Columbus, a non-profit agency that promotes environmental education demonstration projects. Among the partners of the Ohio solar energy schools program is the Ohio Department of Development.

IREC's award-winning projects must be innovative, replicable by others and have a measurable positive impact on the environment.

"Under the banner of AEP's Learning from Light! program, 70 schools had installed photovoltaic systems as of this month," said Dale Heydlauff, AEP senior vice president - environmental affairs. "This includes the two programs cited by IREC."

Learning from Light! is an energy and environmental education program developed by AEP, the Foundation for Environmental Education, CSG Services and other local and state partners. The U.S. Department of Energy certifies each installation under its Million Solar Roofs and Energy$mart Schools programs.

When a school's photovoltaic system is combined with AEP's web-based Datapultsm energy management system, Datapultsm provides information about the contribution that solar generation makes to the school's total energy usage.

"Learning from Light! provides an opportunity for schools and communities to satisfy their growing fascination and curiosity about solar energy in a practical and informative way," Heydlauff said. "It's a hands-on program. Students can see solar panels connected to the school's electrical system. They can monitor energy usage and generation on-line. One of our first Learning from Light! schools, Bluffsview Elementary in Worthington, Ohio, for example, reported a 25% increase in fourth grade math proficiency test scores as a result of the program."

Schools and communities can access information about taking part in Learning from Light! at www.aep.com/environmental/solar/.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company based in Columbus, Ohio. AEP owns and operates more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity, making it one of America's largest generators of electricity. The company is also a leading wholesale energy marketer and trader, ranking second in the U.S. in electricity volume. AEP provides retail electricity to more than 7 million customers worldwide and has more than $45 billion in assets, primarily in the U.S. with holdings in select international markets. Wholly owned subsidiaries are involved in power engineering and construction services, energy management and telecommunications.

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Contact:
Tom Ayres
Corporate Media Relations
American Electric Power
614/223-1973