Killara Primary School has made the transition to clean energy by installing enough solar panels to power the entire school.
The 189 solar panel installation project was funded by the state government’s Greener Government Schools Building Program.
The program is designed to cover all of the initial costs associated with the purchase and installation of the system.
The school is then expected to pay back the government through the savings that accrue through the use of renewable energy.
Killara Primary School sustainability co-ordinator Robyn Smith said the school had been pushing to move to solar power for the past seven years.
“‘The school is always working to try to cut down our carbon footprint,” Ms Smith said.
“It’s taken a long time, and just when we were close to giving up, it came along.
“The sustainability team at Killara is very strong, we push for every resource we can get, beg borrow or steal.”
In addition to solar power, Killara Primary School uses recycled water to irrigate it’s sporting ovals; maintains a bee hotel; has incorporated indigenous plantings into the landscape; and has designed a ‘Buddy Bench’ made out of 22,000 recycled plastic bags.
“It’s very visual what we do,” Ms Smith said.
“You can talk about the importance of sustainability, but it’s really important for the kids be able to see what it means in practice.”
Oliver Lees
