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Cristina Juska | White Lake Beacon
Kids are having fun assembling solar cars at the White Lake Community Library April 9.
Cristina Juska | White Lake Beacon
This girl is testing the solar car she built at the library.
Cristina Juska | White Lake Beacon
Grahm Gardner of Educated Energy is helping kids build solar cars.
Cristina Juska | White Lake Beacon
Kids are having fun assembling solar cars at the White Lake Community Library April 9.
Cristina Juska | White Lake Beacon
This girl is testing the solar car she built at the library.
Cristina Juska | White Lake Beacon
Grahm Gardner of Educated Energy is helping kids build solar cars.
WHITEHALL — The White Lake Community Library hosted a solar cars activity for elementary and middle school students on April 9, giving families something both fun and educational to do during spring break. Kids and their parents worked together to assemble solar car kits provided by Grahm Gardner and Shawn Smith of Educated Energy. With the sun shining, participants were able to take their completed cars outside to test them.
Educated Energy, based in Whitehall, started four years ago and recently installed solar panels at the library. Gardner said the company prides itself on being part of the community and giving back whenever possible. Education and raising awareness about solar energy are also central to their mission.
The library’s 2025–27 strategic plan includes a goal to “explore ways to decrease energy usage and increase sustainability.” Library Director Virginia DeMumbrum met the Educated Energy team at the “Feet on the Street” event in Whitehall, sparking the library’s move toward solar energy.
To fund the project, DeMumbrum pursued a grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). The library board approved Educated Energy’s bid for the work in May 2025, and the panels were installed last October. DeMumbrum has an app on her phone displaying in real time how much energy has been produced.
Gardner said the “ever-increasing cost of electricity” is driving interest in solar among Michigan homeowners and businesses. “The math works out,” he said of the investment.
“Over the lifetime of the system, we anticipate savings of more than a quarter of a million dollars on our electric bills,” DeMumbrum said.
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