Andrew Barr

ACT public schools shine on solar power

Submitted by Andrew Barr on 3 August 2010 - 11:53am
Evatt Primary School today officially became the first ACT public school to start generating its own solar electricity under the ACT Labor Government’s Solar Schools Program.
 
I officially ‘flicked the switch’ on Evatt Primary School’s 10 kilowatt array of solar panels this morning. Along with Kingsford Smith School, Evatt Primary is one of the first public schools to install a solar power system and is already feeding energy back into the grid saving the school up to $7,000 per year.
 
Every student in every ACT school knows the biggest challenge facing us is climate change. It’s clear they know about the problem and clear they want to take action to deal with it. By investing more than $3.3 million installing solar panels at every ACT public school, ACT Labor is helping school communities take practical steps to tackle climate change.
 
These panels not only generate renewable energy today, but they are a lesson to students about what they can do everyday to reduce their impact on the environment.
 
The panels and the software that helps students monitor the energy they generate are a part of the education system helping to ensure young Canberrans get the skills they need to ensure Canberra stays sustainable into the future.
 
The ACT Solar Schools program will install around 1 megawatt (1000 kilowatts) of panels on schools across the ACT public school system over the next three years. It will be the largest solar photovoltaic project in Canberra and one of the largest in Australia. It will generate about 1500 megawatt hours of electricity back into the grid and help to offset about 1600 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The energy generated is enough to power about 200 houses for a year.
 
ACT Labor’s investment in solar generation complements Federal Labor’s National Solar Schools Program. Under the program each school can get up to $50,000 to install a 10kw system at their school. This is another example of Federal Labor and ACT Labor working together for the good of ACT students and the environment.
 
The system at Evatt Primary School represents an investment of $45,000. The one at Kingsford Smith School represents an investment of $150,000.
 
All systems installed at high schools and colleges will also have the capacity to be expanded to a 30kw system like the one currently in operation at Kingsford Smith School in Holt.
 
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