The sun is setting on Solar my School

16 July 2024 | Council News

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Solar my School was established in 2017, by Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick Councils (3-Councils) to help schools in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs install solar power on their rooftops; reaping the educational, financial and environmental benefits of clean, locally produced, renewable energy.

The motivation for Solar my School came from a demand by the schools themselves who wanted solar but often didn’t know where to start, coupled with a need for the 3-Councils to meet ambitious community emission reduction targets. The pioneering initiative provided specialist technical advice and trusted independent support for all primary and secondary schools - independent, public, and catholic.

The program helped schools from start to finish, from initial solar feasibility and funding advice, through to tender assistance and installation, as well as educational support to teach the next generation about solar and renewables.

The success of the program led to an expansion to 13 other LGAs around NSW, and also the receipt of many awards for leadership and design, including NSW Green Globes, Cities Power Partnerships and LG Professionals Association National Award.

In total, 122 schools installed solar through this Council-run program, collectively representing a remarkable 5.9 Megawatts of solar capacity. This is equivalent to powering 1,300 Australian homes and will contribute to reducing 6,520 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. 48% of public schools that have installed solar since 2017 had support through this program and the money saved on electricity bills across all the schools will total up to $25 million in the solar systems’ lifetime electricity savings, freeing up vital funds for schools to allocate elsewhere.

46 of the 64 schools in the Eastern Suburbs have installed solar through the Solar my School program and five of those being the largest solar PV systems in the region outside of University of NSW at the time. Through the installation of solar systems, amounting to a total 2.5 Megawatts of local renewable energy, these schools have helped to avoid 3,076 tonnes of carbon per year.

Jodie Savage, Manager of the Solar my School Program, said these benefits will continue to be seen for years to come.

"Solar systems have a lifespan of about 25 years, so the Solar my School program has helped NSW schools reduce their electricity bills by around 30% and avoid a total of 163,000 tonnes of carbon pollution – not to mention the educational benefits of normalising solar in the community so children come to expect it and push for solar to be installed in their homes."

In celebrating the achievements of the program, the Solar my School team would like to acknowledge the generous partners and organisations that provided the much-appreciated support to the schools and Solar my School. This includes Sydney Catholic Schools, the NSW Department of Education, the NSW Community Building Partnerships grants, the Purryburry Trust, the Local Schools Fund, Clovelly Community Bank, and Australian Climate Action Fund. Over $1.5 million in external grant funding made many installations possible, which leveraged over $5 million in solar installations as a result.

Our role as part of Solar my Suburb has come to an end after supporting many schools to go solar since 2017. The Department of Education have paused their co-contribution funding program and are looking into more holistic sustainability and energy options like solar, batteries and Virtual Power Plant technologies rolled out automatically across the State moving forward.

Although Solar my School may be wrapping up, the commitment to the renewable energy transition continues. For those interested, valuable resources including a teachers e-guide, a solar feasibility pathway, and documents to assist with the solar tender process are available on the existing Solar my School website until June 2025. These tools aim to ensure that the journey towards net zero remains accessible and achievable for all.

For those in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, the sister program to Solar my School – Solar my Suburb – continues. Non for profits, sporting organisations, churches, synagogues, and other community entities are encouraged to express their interest today, ensuring that the momentum towards a sustainable renewable energy future remains strong.