Sustainable Facilities

Installation of solar and wind energy in schools

The Department encourages schools to install solar and wind energy systems where appropriate. When done correctly, these systems:

• reduce the school’s net greenhouse gas emissions
• reduce the school’s electricity bills
• create opportunities to teach students about sustainability.

For solar and wind energy systems connected to the grid, schools may be eligible to receive credit for the electricity they export in the form of feed-in tariffs. Schools may contact their electricity retailer to arrange to receive these tariffs.

Depending on current government schemes, schools may earn credits for purchasing a solar or wind energy system. These credits can reduce the upfront cost of the system. Schools may contact their local council for more information.

Schools can estimate how long it will take for the system to pay for itself by comparing their current annual utility running costs with the cost of the system and the savings produced. They may also need to include other considerations such as feed-in tariffs and credit rates.