Solar Electricity for Schools and Community
Switch your school or community organisation on to Solar Power and convert the sun’s energy into a free and environmentally sustainable source of electricity.
An educational solar power system kit is also an invaluable resource for supporting renewable energy learning activities throughout a school's curricula.
How Does It Work?
Photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, are installed on a north-facing roof. The Solar panels produce direct current (DC) electricity that is transformed into 240 Volt alternating current (AC) electricity by an inverter, to run standard electrical equipment and to match the commercial power supply.
The school will continue to import electricity from the commercial electricity supplier and will offset consumption against the output of the solar power system. Meters show how much solar electricity has been exported to the grid and how much electricity has been imported from the grid.
Your school will have a valuable resource for teaching students about renewable energy while making a significant contribution to reducing the school's dependence on carbon producing coal-fired power stations.
The National Solar Schools Program
The National Solar Schools Program will help Australian schools take practical action to tackle climate change by offering grants of up to $50 000 (GST exclusive) to install solar power systems, rainwater tanks and a range of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. In particular, for schools with a mains power supply, surplus electricity generated by solar power systems on weekends and during school holidays may be able to be sold back to the electricity grid for extra electricity and greenhouse savings.
The objectives of the National Solar Schools Program are to allow schools to
- generate their own electricity from renewable sources
- improve their energy efficiency and reduce their energy consumption
- adapt to climate change by making use of rainwater collected from school roofs
- provide educational benefits for school students and their communities
- support the growth of the renewable energy industry.
Funding
Schools installing a minimum 2 kilowatt (kW) solar power system are eligible for a grant of up to $50 000 (GST exclusive) for the installation of eligible items.
If no solar power system or a system of less than 2kW is installed, a grant of up to $30 000 (GST exclusive) is available to be spent on eligible items.
For further information about the national Solar Schools Program (NSSP), visit the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website at www.environment.gov.au/settlements/renewable/nationalsolarschools/index.html.