MEDIA RELEASE - Council helps Heathcote High turn sunlight into savings through solar scheme
Heathcote High School has become the latest school to benefit from a scheme which is helping schools across the state make the switch to renewable energy, with a new solar power system installed on site expected to dramatically slash the school’s energy bills.
The conversion to solar power was made possible through the ‘Solar My School’ program, with Sutherland Shire Council providing financial assistance to support the school’s inclusion in the program which has already seen 122 schools across NSW transition to the use of solar energy.
Sutherland Shire Mayor, Councillor Carmelo Pesce, along with Councillors Diedree Steinwall and Greg McLean, met with Heathcote High School Principal Stephen Waser, student leaders and representatives of the program today to officially mark the school’s switch to solar power.
Mayor Pesce said he was excited to see Heathcote High’s successful transition to renewable energy usage, noting it is an important step in Council’s efforts to see the Sutherland Shire community become carbon neutral by 2050.
“Heathcote High School is setting a great example for other schools in the Sutherland Shire by embracing renewable energy, and I’m incredibly proud that Council has been able to play a part in helping them make the switch,” Mayor Pesce said.
“This isn’t just a great outcome for the school, this is a great outcome for our whole community as part of a greater collective effort Council is leading to help reduce the impact we all have on our environment.”
Beyond the obvious environmental benefits, the school will see substantial financial savings of over $12,000 per annum, which the school can redirect to improving the experience for students. The newly installed solar panels at Heathcote High School are expected to deliver significant energy savings annually, including:
* A 25% reduction in energy bills,
* Enough power to run 451 computers or 16 homes,
* Reduction of carbon emissions by 80 tons, or the equivalent of taking 28 cars off the road.
Heathcote High School Principal, Stephen Waser said that Heathcote High School’s participation in this program aligns with its ongoing commitment to sustainability.
“The Solar my School program was the perfect initiative to support our school's sustainability goals. The reduction of our energy bill means we can subsidise more school initiatives and enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum,” Mr Waser said.
“Sutherland Shire Council has been instrumental in helping us to make this switch through the support they provided to assist our application, conducting feasibility assessments, solar layout assessments, with the grant received through the Solar My School program funding the cost of the solar panels.”
The Solar My School Program was established in 2017 by Waverley, Woollahra, and Randwick Councils to help schools in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs install solar power to reap educational, financial, and environmental benefits. The program has grown significantly over the past seven years, expanding its outreach across NSW due to a demand from schools and the need for councils to meet ambitious community emission reduction targets.
Jodie Savage, Manager of the Solar my School Program, said that this project is the culmination of a NSW wide renewable energy program that has spanned nearly a decade of successful implementations, with Heathcote High School one of the final participants.
“This achievement marks a significant milestone not just for the school and Sutherland Shire community but for the entire NSW community,” Ms Savage said.
“Over seven successful years, Solar My School expanded to 13 other local government areas, helping a total of 122 schools install solar systems. This council-run program collectively added 5.9 Megawatts of solar capacity—enough to power 1,300 Australian homes and reduce 6,520 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
“Nearly half of the public schools that installed solar since 2017 did so with support from this program, which saved schools up to $25 million in electricity costs over the lifetime of their solar systems.”
For more information on Sutherland Shire Council’s sustainability initiatives, please visit Sustainability at Council.