Solar energy
Overview
Schools are permitted to install solar energy systems.
Investment in a solar power system has immediate environmental benefits and potential for medium and long term financial benefits if the system that is installed is of high quality, of an appropriate size and is adequately maintained.
Installation considerations
A solar power system is a complex electrical system and requires certain conditions to be met before a school may be deemed suitable to have solar installed.
Solar panels must:
- comply with Australian standards AS 5033
- be installed by New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) accredited installers
- use Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved panel and inverter components.
Installers must also adhere to the Victorian School Building Authority's (VSBA) Solar Power System Performance Specification guidelines .
A NETCC accredited installer will be able to assess a school and recommend a suitably sized solar power system with consideration to these conditions:
- electrical mains switchboard capability of connecting with additional systems
- buildings of sound structure
- permanency of building(s)
- available suitable roof surface
- suitable building orientation
- suitable building included in the school’s entitlement, and in good condition (rated 2.5 or better by Rolling Facilities Evaluation)
- suitable roof angle, pitch or tilt
- roof free of significant overshadowing from other structures or objects
- the building is not designated as the school’s shelter-in-place
- identifying a suitable location for the inverter(s)
- shelter-in-place and bushfire considerations
- obtain relevant engineering certifications as required by the electricity distributor and performance specifications (for example, electrical, structural, BCA compliance).
When considering installing solar panels, a school must check whether the roof to which they plan to attach the panels is under warranty or within the defect liability period. If so, the school must install the solar panels collaboratively with the roof provider, ensuring that the installation does not void the warranty. Alternatively, ensure that the panels come with appropriate roof integrity warranties.
Solar power system sizing
A solar power system can reduce a school’s expenditure on electricity by reducing the school's reliance on purchasing electricity from the grid, which is generated from sources such as coal power plants. At times where the system is generating more power than is used by the school, such as weekends and during holidays, this excess can be fed back to the grid and the school will receive a credit. Increasing the use of renewable energy decreases the amount of emissions that a school creates.
Generally, the peak hours of electricity usage at a school are similar to the times of the day when solar energy is most available. Larger solar power systems absorb and generate more electricity, but the credit for it being fed back into the grid may be relatively low (much lower than it costs to purchase), so the financial benefits for the school may not always increase along with the size of the system.
Purchasing solar power systems
In the first instance, schools should contact the VSBA at VSBA.Green.Energy.Programs@education.vic.gov.au for advice when purchasing solar panels.
Solar power systems must be purchased up-front. Under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (ETRA 2006) schools and school councils do not have the power to enter into hire purchase, lease as a payment plan, loan agreements or rental agreements with a third party who installs the equipment at the school site.
Additionally, schools must not enter Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with solar power providers to install systems and purchase the electricity output.
The Greener Government School Building Program offers interest-free loans for eligible schools to install solar power systems. Schools can email VSBA.Green.Energy.Programs@education.vic.gov.au for more information and to determine if they are eligible.
Quotations
School must follow the relevant Victorian Government procurement processes outlined in the Procuring Low-value Construction Works or Services policy and the School-funded Capital Projects policy.
Each potential installer must provide a written quotation clearly outlining the following inclusions and costs:
- a list of the equipment being installed, including where relevant, the quantity, size, make and model
- warranties for all installed equipment, including for manufacturing and performance where applicable
- costs for electrical works required before using the system, or any measures required to restrict unauthorised access to the system
- grid protection, for systems larger than 30 kW (where required)
- labour costs
- details regarding solar feed-in credits (if any), as the administration of these at installation is generally done by the installer
- any monitoring apparatus that are included.
Quotations received from installers may also include an estimate of the financial and environmental impacts of the system.
How to calculate financial and environmental savings
As most financial savings will come from reducing the amount of power schools need to purchase, schools can estimate how much this will be by calculating how much electricity the solar power system will generate and multiplying this by the current electricity rate (c/kWh). For example, a 50 kW system might expect to see savings around $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the energy usage profile of the school or a 30 kW solar power system may generate 20,000 kWh of electricity per year, which multiplied by an average electricity rate of $0.27/kWh gives a saving of $5,400 for the year.
It is important to note that the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) is not a reflection of the actual savings from solar, rather the FiT is just a credit on the excess electricity fed back into the grid and not used on-site firstly.
For each kW capacity of solar panels installed, a school could estimate the system to reduce the emission of approximately 1.6 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year.
Installation procedures and requirements
Schools can provide this Solar Power Systems Performance Specifications document to their installer for the full list of standards and requirements that must be met.
Schools must use NETCC accredited installers. Accreditation requires the technician to be a licensed electrician, complete a training course and continue ongoing professional development.
Every installation carried out by an accredited installer is required to meet the following Australian Standards:
- AS/NZS 5033 Installation of photovoltaic arrays
- AS/NZS 4777 Grid-connections of energy systems via inverters
- AS/NZS 3000 Electrical wiring rules
- AS 1768 Lightning protection
- AS/NZS 1170.2 Wind loads.
Installation should be arranged outside school hours so that students are not on-site. It is preferable that installations are conducted during school holidays so as not to endanger students or cause interruptions to school operations. The installer must always follow required safety standards and barricade the working area to ensure the safety of any person in the area.
Post-installation considerations
After the system has been installed, the installer must provide the school with:
- a maintenance manual for the system
- a list of the installed equipment
- an electrical diagram and photographs of the system
- a Certificate of Electrical Safety
- a Structural Certificate from a structural engineer.
Refer to Appendix J of the Solar Power Systems Performance Specifications document for a full list of required information to be provided at completion of a solar installation.
The installer is also required provide training on the basic operation of the system, and how to operate the monitoring system.
The system must be appropriately insured as per the Insurance for Schools policy. The solar power system must be added to the School Asset Management System plan (refer to the Repurposing and Renaming School Spaces policy).
Monitoring and maintenance
The department encourages schools to regularly check their solar power data monitoring system to confirm their system is working properly. At any sign of reduced performance or issue, schools should have their system inspected by a NETCC accredited installer.
Maintenance of the system must be conducted by a NETCC accredited installer to ensure compliance and safety standards are met. Maintenance generally consists of cleaning of the panels and inspection of electrical components. Please note that rain does not clean solar panels, and may leave dirt residue which will impact the performance of the solar panels.
As there are no moving parts to solar panels, maintenance is relatively minimal and therefore costs are generally low depending on the size of the system.
The performance of solar power systems decreases slightly over time. Most quality systems are guaranteed to last at least 25 years, and to operate at no less than 80% of their original capacity at 25 years. A system may still have useful life beyond 25 years, however the solar power cells will continue to reduce in efficiency over time.
System issues
If there are concerns with a solar power system or in the event of issues or faults with the system, schools must leave the system alone and contact the installer for advice and rectification.
If the installer is not available, please contact the VSBA’s Sustainability and Environment Unit at VSBA.Green.Energy.Programs@education.vic.gov.au for further advice.
System decommissioning
Schools are responsible for removing systems they have purchased. Disposal of the system is to be conducted in compliance with Environment Protection Authority (EPA) e-waste Requirements at an EPA authorised facility to sort, store or recover specified e-waste.
Refer to the Solar Victoria and EPA for more information about priority waste and permissions.
Reviewed 09 January 2026