Thanks to support from PG&E, NEED is able to provide classroom curriculum, hands-on kits, and training workshops to schools in the PG&E service area. NEED's K-12 curriculum and "Kids Teaching Kids" approach helps schools meet the standards of the California Department of Education, develop student leadership, and bring the latest solar technology into the classroom. 

The PG&E Schools Going Solar Guide provides lessons and research activities for students to use the PG&E Solar Schools data for classroom activities. 

To be placed on a list to receive announcements of the workshops, please email pgesolarschools@need.org. 

Solar-powered class projects

Teachers participating in the PG&E Solar Schools Workshops will receive classroom curriculum materials and hands-on solar energy kits and other kits appropriate for the content area of the workshop. The kits have been designed at four levels: Primary, Elementary, Intermediate, and Secondary.

Solar lesson plans

The NEED Project curriculum includes Teachers Guides and Student Lab Books for the hands-on solar activities as well as a variety of resources to learn about solar energy and its applications. To help schools incorporate more solar energy education into their classrooms, NEED prepared a series of hands-on kits about solar. The Teacher and Student Guides may be accessed in PDF below. Kits are available to attendees of the 2010 PG&E Solar Schools Workshops.

Schools Workshops.

• Primary - The Sun and Its Energy (pdf)


• Elementary - Energy From the Sun Teacher Guide (pdf)


• Elementary - Energy From the Sun Student Guide (pdf)


• Intermediate - Exploring Solar Energy Teacher Guide (pdf)


• Intermediate - Exploring Solar Energy Student Guide (pdf)


• Secondary - Photovoltaics Teacher Guide (pdf)


• Secondary - Photovoltaics Student Guide (pdf)

Throughout the year, PG&E, NEED, and the Foundation for Environmental Education produce materials for supplements to the PG&E Solar Schools Program. Materials produced will be loaded to the site and updated periodically. Have a great lesson plan to add? Email it to pgesolarschools@need.org. 

The California Energy Story was created for the PG&E Celebration of Science Workshop in San Francisco.

The PG&E Solar Schools Workshop Presentation provides background on the program, on solar energy, and on materials provided for teachers. 

Web-based System

A web-based system enabling students, teachers, parents and administrators to view real-time data on how much power is being generated. Check the website for new schools and the electricity output their solar installations are producing. Using the Schools Going Solar Teacher Guide will help teachers plan research and analysis activities. A variety of resources are available on the site. 

There are lots of great resources online for teaching about solar energy. A few excellent examples:

• Energy Information Administration Kid’s Page


• Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Schools Going Solar Program


• The Rahus Institute’s Solar Schoolhouse


• The Foundation for Environmental Education


• Florida Solar Energy Center


• California Energy Commission’s Energy Quest


• National Renewable Energy Laboratory


• NREL’s Education Office