Upper Cape students will be getting hands-on experience with solar energy, now that the school’s new 633-kilowatt solar canopy is up and running.

The solar canopy, placed over the student parking lot, was built at no cost to the school thanks to a collaboration with Green Seal Environmental in Sagamore Beach and Solect Energy of Hopkinton. Solect financed and constructed the building of the canopy (estimated cost is $2 million), and owns and maintains the structure as part of a 20-year power purchase agreement.

In return, Upper Cape has agreed to purchase half of the energy that the array produces every year at a reduced rate. The other half of the energy produced will be purchased by the Bourne Recreational Authority.

Superintendent Bob Dutch explained that Upper Cape declined to buy the full of energy due to a separate purchase plan that the school had already arranged with the Massachusetts Military Reserve Wind Project. With both sources of renewable energy, Dutch explained, the school is using 80 percent renewable energy resources.

Although Solect is in charge of maintaining the overall array, Upper Cape electrical shop and environmental technology students will benefit from the arrangement too, as the school integrates renewable energy into its curriculum. The electrical students have a unit devoted to solar photovoltaic systems, and will be repairing and maintaining some of the individual solar panels.

The environmental technology students will integrate real-life data gleaned from the array, and provided by Green Seal Environmental, into their coursework. “It’s a good way to get them serious hands-on experience in a growing field,” said Principal Roger Forget.

The students are excited about more than just the academic possibilities, though. “They’re pretty enthusiastic,” said Forget. “Because they love that they won’t need to clean their cars off when it snows.”