Award winning Marlborough Enviroschool has saved $15,000 in power bills since having solar panels installed on their roof three years ago.

Renwick School Principal Simon Heath says the schools annual $30,000 power bills got him thinking about alternative ways of generating power. The school was already maintaining a take-your-rubbish-home policy, running edible gardens and a recycling programme, so solar power seemed like the next logical step in their eco-friendly mission.

The school has 100 panels on the senior school roof and one on the junior school roof which Heath says is enough to power the whole school.

“In winter we use all the power we produce but at other times are able to sell it back to the grid. In the summer holidays, of course, when we’re not there we make the most money. It’s a kind of passive fundraiser, netting us around $5000 in savings every year,” he said.

In three years, the school has saved the equivalent of 3726 trees and 74.53 tonne of carbon dioxide emissions.

Why Should Your School Go Solar?

• Solar is clean, green power. The school helps reduce their overall cost of electricity and shows a commitment to sustainability.
• Solar panels have performance warranties for 25 years which means the panels will be there for future pupils to benefit from.
• Solar power helps foster a generation of people who instinctively think and act sustainably as per t
  he aim of enviroschools.

iGenerate has released an offer to schools that allows them to make their own decision about operational costs and ongoing sustainability. This new finance offer allows schools to install Solar PV system and pay for the system out of the energy savings the system generates. Once the system has been paid for then the power savings will contribute to reduced operating costs for the school.

iGenerate provides the whole of market solution, including design, engineering, line and retail approval, installation and commissioning. The project team will take care of every step and keep you updated along the way.

If you would like to read more about this then head over to our Solar for your School page.

Alternatively you can contact us by emailing gosolar@igenerate.co.nz to register your interest today!

Images and original story courtesy of Stuff.co.nz.