Chapman Had State's First Solar-Powered School

Good Morning!

            I am writing regarding the Aug. 7 edition of the Times reference to the solar powered building constructed by Mr. Dan Garlick of Garlick Environmental.

            I am pleased to learn that solar power is once more returning to Apalachicola and I would like to congratulate Mr. Garlick on his vision in this endeavor.

            When I was a member of the local school board in the ‘70s, the board built the first solar-powered air conditioned and heated school in Florida and the second in the nation.

            I was privileged to have had an active part in this project which was installed in the new Chapman Elementary School. The late superintendent, Mr. Leon Tucker, and I traveled to Tallahassee and persuaded the director of the State Department of Education to give the school board a grant of $600,000 that was dedicated strictly to the construction of the solar system for the new school.

            We retained world-class solar engineers from Corning, New York, to design the solar system. It was installed by solar engineers from New York City and was completed around the year 1979. At the time our school solar system was considered the "state of the art" in solar design and engineering.

            As my term expired on the school board about the time the solar system was completed around 1979, so did the newly-installed solar system. The new school board decided not to operate the solar installed system and later it was dismantled.

            Sincerely,

            Photis Nichols, M.D.

            Jacksonville