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Solar Our Schools: State of Play

Since July 2020, we have united more than 11,000 parents behind Solar Our Schools - asking the Federal Government to fund solar and batteries for every school and early childhood centre in Australia.

We are now calling on individual states and territories to progress a state and federal partnership on Solar Our Schools.

So far, State Governments have made wildly differing levels of progress towards putting solar and batteries on public schools, with absolutely no support for solar and batteries on independent schools or early childhood centres.

We need your help! Write to your State Education Ministers asking them to work in partnership with the Federal Government, to support funding Solar Our Schools and remove barriers to its implementation.

Click on your location to write a letter to your State's Education Minister: NSW Vic Qld SA WA Tas NT ACT

What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

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Infographic sources:

Federal: http://www.industry.gov.au/Energy/EnergyEfficiency/Documents/NSSP-Evaluation-Report-Final.pdf, p13

NSW: https://nsw.liberal.org.au/Shared-Content/News/2020/POWERING-OUR-PUBLIC-SCHOOLS-INTO-THE-FUTURE/ and https://www.solarmyschool.org.au/

Vic: https://reneweconomy.com.au/victoria-seeks-600mw-wind-and-solar-to-power-hospitals-schools-and-trains-20495/

Qld: https://qed.qld.gov.au/programs-initiatives/det/building-education/major-projects-and-initiatives/advancing-clean-energy-schools-program 

SA: South Australian Department of Education

WA: https://reneweconomy.com.au/w-a-to-spend-66m-on-solar-and-batteries-for-schools-communities-and-social-housing-92719/ 

https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2020/09/McGowan-Government-launches-solar-schools-program-for-regions.aspx#:~:text=Education%20and%20Training%20Minister%20Sue,public%20schools%20throughout%20Western%20Australia.

Tas: Tasmanian Renewable Energy Alliance Inc.

NT: http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/mediaRelease/31965

ACT: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/management-national-solar-schools-program

 

Image: Map Australia Divided In States from Vector.me


Come on, let's make some noise!

Here is some expert tips on writing a punchy and personal letter to the editor:

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

  • Grab a copy of your local paper or read it online to get a feel for the letters section – how many are printed, average length, types of topics covered, tone.

MAKE IT PUNCHY

  • Be considered and critical where necessary, but avoid ranting. You are trying to convince people, not shut them out.
  • Keep your letter short and succinct: 150-250 words is a good guide. Less is more.

WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT SOLAR OUR SCHOOLS 

  • Focus on the positives – Solar Our Schools is great for:
    • Jobs and post-COVID economy
    • Saving schools money in electricity bills
    • Schools being able to re-allocate money saved from power bills into more teachers or educational resources
    • Millions of tonnes per year carbon emission reduction
    • While some schools/states have made progress with respect to solar, Solar Our Schools calls for every school and early childhood centre to receive solar and batteries – renewable power for all, not just a few.
  • You could mention that you have signed the Open Letter to the Prime Minister to Solar Our Schools and you would like other people in your community to sign the open letter too.
  • Or you could mention how you've made a Pre-Budget Submission to the federal government so they will (hopefully!) include Solar Our Schools in the next budget. You care what your taxes are spent on!

MAKE IT LOCAL

  • Make it relevant to the readership – why should other locals care about the points you are making?
    • Do schools in your area desperately need solar?
    • Are classrooms too hot, and the best way to cool them would be air-conditioners powered by solar?
    • Is there something else about Solar Our Schools or AP4CA that you think would interest your local Member of Parliament?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • Mention your perspective as a parent:
    • What kind of world would you like to see your children grow up in?
    • What do you worry about as a parent when it comes to climate change?
    • What does Solar Our Schools mean to you and your family personally?
  • Sign your name rather than just your school/organisation. 

SUBMITTING YOUR LETTER

  • The paper (or online version) will provide contact details – a general editorial email address, contact details for the editor or instructions on how to submit a ‘letter to the editor’.
  • Be sure to follow any specific instructions about your letter (format/word length/content). 

Let's get Solar on Every School in Australia!

SIGN OUR OPEN LETTER TO STATE AND FEDERAL LEADERS

We’re calling on state and federal governments to fund solar panels and batteries for every school and early childhood centre in Australia that doesn’t yet have solar - or needs more!

It's a no brainer: creating clean local jobs Australia-wide, slashing school electricity costs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to protect our climate! We're asking state and federal governments to make this a reality!

Solar and batteries significantly cut power bills for schools and early childhood centres by using and storing free energy from the sun. Research by Beyond Zero Emission shows that installing solar panels and batteries on Australian schools and early childhood centres would:  

  • Save $114,000 in annual energy bills per large school 
  • Save $12,700 in small schools*

To achieve these savings, schools need grant funding for their solar and battery system, and  to become part of a "virtual power plant" where they can sell their excess solar power to the community.

SOLAR PROVIDES AN IDEAL INVESTMENT FOR THE CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY

As Australia needs to moves toward clean energy in all sectors of the economy, solar and batteries for schools supports the clean industries of the future and leaves polluting industries, like coal and gas, behind. Solar Our Schools would create many thousands of regional jobs - at least 6,870 jobs*! Solar installers are local businesses in the regions where the schools and early childhood centres are, so local economies would benefit.

SOLAR ON SCHOOLS IS PART OF AUSTRALIA’S CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE 

Solar energy is used directly by the school or early childhood centre for their electricity needs, instead of them buying coal-generated power from the electricity grid. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions because it means less coal-generated power is needed. Installing solar panels and batteries on an all Australian schools and early childhood centres would save 1.4 million tonnes of greenhouse emissions per year*

YOU CAN HELP WIN SOLAR ON OUR SCHOOLS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRES!

By asking state and federal governments for solar and batteries for all Australian schools and childcare centres,  you can play a part in creating a cleaner, better, safer Australia. 

1. SIGN OUR OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER

Add your name to the call for clean-energy investment into solar and batteries for all schools in Australia! We want thousands of parents, teachers, students and community members to sign the letter, so please share it too! Here is a poster you can download!

2. VOLUNTEER AS A SCHOOL OR CHILD CARE CHAMPION AND GET YOUR COMMUNITY ON BOARD!

We have resources and organisers to help you connect with your school or child care community to get them on board. We'll help you get the ball rolling! 

3. WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR LOCAL POLITICIAN ASKING TO SEEK SUPPORT FOR OUR CAMPAIGN

We need to let politicians across all of Australia know that Aussies want the government to Solar Our Schools! Please email or write to your local MP to ask them to get behind funding solar and batteries for all schools, not just those that can afford it.

It’s estimated that at least 42% of the 9503 schools (public and private) in Australia don’t currently have solar*. Many more child care centres and preschools also have no solar. Many schools and centres that do have solar panels often don't have a large enough system to meet all their needs.

 

View our Fact Sheet about solar on schools

 

Read our Case Studies of how schools are saving with solar

 

The Solar Our Schools open letter is endorsed by:

 

 

^Source: Beyond Zero Emissions ‘Million Jobs Plan’ 2020 - This plan, developed in conjunction with Tesla, provides for large schools to utilise 250kW of solar plus a medium battery and small schools to use 25kW of solar panels plus a small battery.  


‘No-Brainer’: Australian parents call for Federal Budget support to Solar Our Schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

28 JANUARY 2021

AUSTRALIAN PARENTS for Climate Action has renewed calls for the Federal Government to prioritise funding for solar panels on every school and early childhood education centre in Australia, ahead of the deadline for public submissions for the next Federal Budget.

Read more

Solar Our Schools: State of Play - ACT

Write to the Australian Capital Territory Minister for Education asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.


You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon Yvette Berry MLA Minister for Education

GPO Box 1020, Canberra ACT 2601

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to ask the Australian Capital Territory Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

  • Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
  • Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
  • Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

The ACT government is leading the country on 100% renewable energy for the territory, with all territory public schools equipped with solar panels. 

However many early childhood centres and small independent schools across the Australian Capital Territory do not have solar or batteries, and find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar. Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and independent schools allows them to generate solar for their operations.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and/or batteries be good for your school/preschool?

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)  allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events  weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

  • Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
  • Support solar panels and batteries for Australian Capital Territory early childhood centres and independent schools
  • Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------


What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

 

 

Northern Territory White Outline Map Australia from Vector.me


Solar Our Schools: State of Play - NT

Write to the Northern Territory Minister for Education asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.


You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon Lauren Moss MP Minister for Education

GPO Box 3146 Darwin NT 0801

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to ask the Northern Territory State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

  • Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
  • Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
  • Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

In the past the Northern Territory Government has funded some state schools to get solar panels, however there are still many state schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and very few with batteries. 

In addition, many early childhood centres and small independent schools across the Northern Territory do not have solar or batteries, and find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar.

Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)  allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events  weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

  • Fund solar panels for state schools, who do not yet have solar or who have an insufficiently small syste
  • Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
  • Support solar panels and batteries for NT early childhood centres and independent schools
  • Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------


What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

 

 

Northern Territory White Outline Map Australia from Vector.me


Solar Our Schools: State of Play - WA

Write to the Western Australia Minister for Education and Training asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.


You can cut and paste the templates below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon Sue Ellery MP, Minister for Education and Training

Level 13, Dumas House, 2 Havelock Street, 

WEST PERTH WA 6005

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to you to congratulate your government's recent pre-election announcement to fund a $44.6 million Schools Clean Energy Technology package, and further ask the Western Australian State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

  • Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
  • Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
  • Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

Western Australia has made good progress in installing solar and batteries on some state schools, but there is still a large number of schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and many more without batteries. Many Western Australian early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries.

Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)  allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events  weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

  • Fund solar panels for state schools, who do not yet have solar or who have an insufficiently small system
  • Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
  • Support solar panels and batteries for WA early childhood centres and independent schools
  • Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------


What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

 

 

Western Australia Outline from Vector.me


Solar Our Schools: State of Play - Qld

Write to the Queensland Minister for Education asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.


You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon Grace Grace MP Minister for Education

GPO Box 15033 CITY EAST QLD 4002

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to ask the Queensland State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

  • Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
  • Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
  • Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

We are aware that the Queensland government has made a strong investment into solar panels for all state schools and we ask that you extend this investment into renewables for independent schools and early childhood centres. Installing solar panels across the rooftops of early childhood centres and independent schools would allow them to also generate solar for their operations.

And, coupling solar with batteries for all schools and early childhood centres would unlock their ability to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events  weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

Currently Queensland state schools are unable to participate as a VPP, so we request your support for schools to become VPPs.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would batteries be good for your school/preschool?

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

  • Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
  • Support solar panels and batteries for Queensland early childhood centres and independent schools
  • Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------


What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

 

 

Queensland Outline Map Australia from Vector.me


Solar Our Schools: State of Play - Vic

Write to the Victorian Minister for Education asking him to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.


You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon James Merlino MP Minister for Education

GPO Box 4367 Melbourne Vic 3001

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to ask the Victorian State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

  • Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
  • Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
  • Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

We welcome the Victorian Government’s recent announcement of 600MW of renewable energy to be sourced from wind and solar farms in order to power Victoria’s state schools, hospitals and trains. 

Providing solar and batteries to schools directly is a great opportunity to further bolster renewable energy take-up. There are still many Victorian state schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and none with batteries. Many Victorian early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries. Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)  allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events  weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

  • Fund solar panels for state schools, who do not yet have solar or who have an insufficiently small system
  • Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
  • Support solar panels and batteries for Victorian early childhood centres and independent schools
  • Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------


What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

 

 

Victoria Map Outline Australia State from Vector.me 


Solar Our Schools: State of Play - SA

Write to the South Australian Minister for Education asking him to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.

You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.

Email your letter to: [email protected]

Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------

The Hon John Gardner MP, Minister for Education
GPO Box 1563 Adelaide SA 5001

Dear Minister,

RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres

INSERT: Brief specific info how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.

I am writing to ask the South Australian State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia. 

This excellent economic investment will:

  • Create many thousands of regional and local jobs
  • Save schools and early childhood centres thousands of dollars per year to put towards educational resources
  • Immediately reduce carbon emissions

I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.

South Australia has made good progress in installing solar on state schools, but there is still a large number of schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and none with batteries. Many SA early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries.

Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.

INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool

What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)  allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator. 

Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events  weekends, evenings and school holidays.

Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.

Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.

I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:

  • Fund solar panels for state schools, who do not yet have solar or who have an insufficiently small system
  • Fund a roll-out of batteries in all state schools
  • Support solar panels and batteries for SA early childhood centres and independent schools
  • Support schools operating as Virtual Power Plants

INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

(Your full name and address)

-------------------------------------------------------


What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?

Sign and share the Open Letter.

Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.

Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.

 

 

Geography Australia Map South Coastline from Vector.me


Australian Parents for Climate Action meet and work on the lands of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people and respect that sovereignty of those lands was never ceded. We pay respect to Elders, past and present and emerging, and acknowledge the pivotal role that Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within the Australian community.