Students celebrate with solar car race on last day of term
Shellharbour City Mayor Chris Homer will join in the fun at Oak Flats Public School on Friday 30 June to celebrate the installation of solar panels, part of the Solar my School initiative.
The school took a leap in its commitment to sustainability by jumping on board Shellharbour City Council’s pilot of the program, installing a 29kW system which will reduce the school’s energy bills by 24% and reduce carbon emissions by 37 tonnes per year.
This is enough to power the equivalent of 208 school computers or seven Australian homes. It’s also the equivalent of taking 13 cars off the road each year.
To celebrate the completion of installation, the students will be building and racing solar cars, adding to the excitement of the last day of term.
Solar my School is a multi-award-winning initiative that assists schools from start to finish in their journey to installing solar power. It aims to reduce participating schools’ carbon footprint, cut energy costs and promote renewable energy.
The Solar my School team works closely with schools to identify suitably sized solar power systems, helps secure funding to pay for installation, and provides renewable energy education to students and staff.
Shellharbour City Council was the second regional council in Australia to join the Solar my School program. Funding for the pilot program was provided as part of Council’s Small Environmental Projects Fund.
Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer said Shellharbour City said he was thrilled that the school decided to participate, adding that the initiative supported Council’s goal of reaching its Net Zero target for the comunity by 2050.
“Our Council is delivering on its strong commitment to the protection of our environment. Last year we endorsed our Zero Emissions Shellharbour Strategy 2022-2050. We’ve committed to achieving net zero emissions for Council operations by 2035, and net zero emissions for the community by 2050,” Mayor Homer said.
“Schools are ideal for solar power. They have large roof spaces and are big daytime consumers of electricity.”I commend Oak Flats Public School on its enthusiasm and commitment to the environment. By going solar, the school will save money, help the environment and support students to learn about clean, locally produced renewable energy.
“Solar my School is an innovative solution for reducing local environmental impacts and promoting the vital importance of a clean green energy future,” he said.
Solar my School was founded in 2017 by Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra Councils. The program is now licensed to other councils and organisations to support schools go solar powered.
Shellharbour City Council asked for expressions of interest for the program, with Lake Illawarra South Public School also getting on board. The school will be installing its 41kW solar system during the July holidays.
• Net Zero Emissions Shellharbour
• Shellharbour City Council’s action on climate change
