Solar power solutions for schools

By Naomii Seah, Industry Reporter

Last year, it was announced that all coal-boilers in schools would be replaced with renewable energy sources by 2025. This is one of the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at achieving a carbon-neutral public sector by 2025. A popular, accessible and successful way for schools to contribute to this vision is through the use of solar panels. Schools looking to install solar should start with practical questions, such as whether your school or kura is in an area of the motu with sufficient sunshine hours.

The property must have a suitable roof for solar-panel installation. Metal roofing is generally the simplest for solarpanel installation, and tile or flat roofing may have increased costs associated, due to specialist mounting equipment. The proposed roof should also be in good repair, as solar panels are generally designed to last for a long-term period, up to 25 years. Another important question is the amount of energy used during daylight hours, as solar-generated power is most cost effective when used as generated. Schools and kura should investigate the cost per unit of generated electricity. This can be sold back to the grid, which increases the proportion of renewable energy available to all households in Aotearoa. However, the cost of buying a unit of electricity