Australia’s leading climate action organisation for parents, carers, and families, Australian Parents for Climate Action (AP4CA) is celebrating expansion of the NSW Smart Energy School Pilot Project, born out of its campaign and petition for State and Federal funding to introduce solar and batteries into all Australian schools and early childhood centres.
The NSW Smart Energy School Pilot Project (part of $71m awarded across TAS, WA and NSW) came into existence after a two-year AP4CA campaign attracted 12,000 signatories, pledges from 135 federal election candidates (including 23 elected representatives from all major parties and the crossbench), and strong support from the City of Sydney and NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell.
The AP4CA campaign also achieved public support from Mike Cannon-Brookes, actress Georgina Haig, TV presenter Osher Gunsberg, and The Chaser writer and comedian Craig Reucassel.
The project will now provide solar and battery energy systems to an additional 18 public schools across NSW, with 79 schools in total to be equipped with around 4,600 solar panels and 3,200 kilowatt hours of battery energy storage capacity.
Nic Seton, CEO of Australian Parents For Climate Action, said the state has made another smart investment by increasing the number of NSW schools set to receive cost-saving solar and battery systems.
“As energy costs continue to climb, clean energy upgrades will lower costs for schools, stabilise local energy supply, and provide cheaper energy for NSW.
“All state governments should take note and follow the lead of NSW, Tasmania and WA. This really is a no-brainer policy with widespread public support.”
To date, solar and battery energy storage systems and air conditioning units with smart controls have been installed at 25 schools taking part in the first stage of the project.
The systems have been operating since August 2022, generating more than 464 megawatt hours of solar energy over the remaining months of 2022. They have also helped to cut $84,000 in electricity costs and reduced the carbon intensity of electricity consumption at the schools by an average 54 per cent – approximately 385 tonnes of CO2.
The tender process to select an appropriate installer for the new work will begin immediately, followed by scope and design work, installation, and commissioning.
Thirteen of the extra schools will receive solar and battery systems and five schools will only receive battery energy storage systems. The schools were selected from the existing prioritised list based on energy consumption, cost, and suitability to participate in a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
A total of 79 schools are now part of the project which is testing the use of solar and battery energy storage systems, demand response controls in air conditioning and the operation of a schools based VPP.
See a full list of participating schools on the project webpage.
