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announced today it will provide more than 60 kilowatts of reduced-price and donated solar panels to help rebuild a K-12 school in Vernonia that was destroyed in 2007 by a flood.

The rebuilding effort is shooting for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum rating, and upon opening in fall 2012, the school could be the first K-12 school in the country to achieve it.

鈥淚’ve been aware of their rebuilding process out there for quite some time,鈥� said Amy Keiter, SolarWorld‘s community relations manager. 鈥淪olarWorld was a natural partner for assisting the school and helping them achieve the goal of LEED platinum certification.鈥�

The solar panels will aid that effort by producing an expected 65,000 kilowatt hours of energy each year.

The majority of the roofing is done on the new school, a construction milestone that the district celebrated this morning.

鈥淚t’s like the great pyramids of Egypt over there,鈥� Keiter said. She attended this morning’s roof-capping ceremony with SolarWorld president Gordon Brinser, who announced the company’s support at the event. 鈥淭here are so many people over there at work, putting up girders, working on roofing, moving dirt, pouring concrete. Amazing things are happening every day out there,鈥� she said.

SolarWorld will also donate $20,000 worth of technology for a separate solar installation over a covered play area. The and the will help Vernonia’s science teachers create a curriculum that will integrate the solar panels and help students understand alternative energy.