Adding solar spark to sustainable schools

059/11

Today Lyneham High School became the first of 19 schools to get solar panels funded by Federal and ACT Labor.

Under Labor’s ACT Solar Schools Program and Federal Labor’s National Solar Schools Program (NSSP), our public schools will receive over $4 million dollars to install solar panel generation systems.

This is another example of Federal Labor and ACT Labor working together for the good of ACT students and the environment.

The biggest challenge facing us is climate change. The solar panels and the software that helps students monitor the energy they generate is all a part of ensuring young Canberrans get the skills they need to ensure Canberra stays sustainable into the future.

This roll-out, to be completed by the end of 2011, will see a minimum array of 10kW installed at the following schools:

• Black Mountain School
• Bonython Primary School
• Campbell Primary School
• Canberra College at Woden
• Canberra High School
• Chapman Primary School
• Charles Conder Primary School
• Duffy Primary School
• Evatt Primary School
• Garran Primary School
• Hughes Primary School
• Kaleen Primary School
• Lake Ginninderra College
• Lyneham High School
• Macquarie Primary School
• Majura Primary School
• Turner Primary School
• Wanniassa School
• Yarralumla Primary School

For the next two financial years, ACT public schools will be eligible for NSSP grants of up to $25 000. Successful schools may also be eligible for further funds under the ACT Solar Schools Program to ensure a minimum of a 10kW solar power systems are being installed.Applications for NSSP grants under the 2011-12 funding round opened on 1 August and close on 30 September 2011.I encourage ACT public schools to apply for funding under this initiative, which is assisting ACT public schools to be carbon neutral by 2017.