500 schools nationwide selected for solar panels

Five hundred schools have been selected for solar technology under the Government’s plan to improve schools’ energy affordability and resilience, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Education Minister Erica Stanford say.

The Ministers announced the list of schools today at Te Papapa School in Auckland, the first to have solar panels installed as part of the pilot for the Government’s $30 million Solar on schools programme, announced as part of Budget 2026.

“Today’s announcement moves the programme from planning into delivery to help lower power costs for schools,” Mr Brown says.

“340 schools in the North Island, 157 in the South Island and three in the Chathams will benefit from this practical, forward-looking initiative that turns sunshine into savings and gives power back to schools.

“The announcement not only provides certainty to schools across the country who are eager to get on with adopting solar power, it will support regional and local businesses and presents a significant opportunity for the industry to build capability and showcase the value of smart energy technologies,” Mr Brown says.

“By generating more clean, renewable energy on school rooftops, we can cut schools’ electricity use from the grid, reduce emissions, and lower their power bills at the same time,” Ms Stanford says.

The 500 schools have been selected because they are experiencing energy or fuel insecurity, facing higher energy costs, are scheduled for gas or diesel boiler replacements, or have a need for greater energy resilience.

Under the programme, and following on-site assessments for suitability, solar panels will be installed at the 500 schools over three years. Up to 150 of them will also receive energy management systems, and selected schools will receive batteries where they are expected to deliver the greatest savings and community resilience benefits.

Ms Stanford says this programme makes use of the buildings we already have, reducing the environmental footprint, and helping schools keep more money in their budgets year after year.

“Large schools are expected to save around $8,000 a year on average on electricity, freeing up money that can be spent on teaching and learning.

“It will also give students a real-world example of renewable energy in action, right there at their own school.

“This is a smart, practical investment in both our schools and New Zealand’s future.”

An Expression of Interest is now live on the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) seeking solar system planners, designers and installers to deliver the programme nationwide.

Note to editors:

• A full list of the 500 schools eligible for the programme is attached and now available on the Education website: Solar panels at school – Ministry of Education. Participation in the programme will be confirmed following an on-site assessment for solar suitability.
• The initiative is jointly funded through $20 million from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)’s Community Renewable Energy Fund and $10 million from the Ministry of Education.
• A regional breakdown of eligible schools and estimated solar system sizes is listed in the table below: