Schools to install solar under new Federal initiative

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has announced a new initiative for schools around Australia to minimise the cost of energy.

The Solar Schools Program aims to help schools to install solar panels and battery storage systems through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation concessional loans.

… generate up to 364 megawatts of energy a year and reduce pollution by 390,000 tonnes,

The $1 billion Solar Schools Program will have the capacity to generate up to 364 megawatts of energy a year and reduce pollution by 390,000 tonnes, from installing up to 4000 schools around the country.

The systems will be Virtual Power Plant (VPP) capable, which will aid the grid in times of blackouts and improve the management of the grid.

Whilst schools are not in operation, which equates to almost 150 days per year (school holidays etc.) the large systems will be able to continue to generate energy and export this to the national grid. This could have the potential to stabilise the grid in high-demand periods.

For schools with an existing solar panel system, they will have the ability to access a loan to either install solar batteries or to upgrade the entire system.

All installations part of the Solar Schools Program will be installed by Clean Energy Council (CEC) accredited solar installers, in compliance with the National Construction code and installation guides.

This is a fantastic initiative for schools to minimise the cost of energy and educate children on renewable energy, and the benefits of solar panels.

Federal Government Solar Battery and Panel Rebate

This announcement comes after a previous election promise made in 2018 to provide solar battery rebates to the value of $2,000 for eligible battery installations.