SolarCity welcomes Greens plan to make schools solar hubs

24 July, 2014

SolarCity welcomes Green Party $20m plan to turn schools into solar hubs

Andrew Booth, CEO of New Zealand’s leading solar power company SolarCity welcomes the Green Party’s policy to help schools go solar.

After in depth consultation with schools during 2013, SolarCity launched the Solar Schools initiative, to help schools utilise the free power of the sun. Booth says it has received strong support from schools across the nation. SolarCity has installed solar on 16 schools so far this year.

“While the number of schools going solar is growing, this uptake is dwarfed by the scale of the problems caused by the rising price of power across our communities and the problems posed by climate change – problems that our kids in particular will spend much of their lives sorting out,” says Booth.

“Principals I talk with are greatly concerned about their high power bills, with each increase directly impacting on school teaching budgets,” he says. “Schools are perfect candidates for solar PV because they use most of their power during the day when solar systems are producing their highest output.

“With high winter power bills hitting schools hard again this year, initiatives like the Green Party’s will give schools and our communities a helping hand as power prices continue to rise.”

About SolarCity New Zealand Ltd (SolarCity)
SolarCity is the nation's leading solar power company, having put more solar systems on New Zealand homes over the last 30 years than any other. It is also one of the top five fastest growing green companies in New Zealand and was the first solar company in the world to achieve CarboNZero accreditation. SolarCity is in business for a purpose: to help create a cleaner world and a sustainable future and to transform New Zealand to be 100% renewable. More: www.solarcity.co.nz

About Solar Schools
The goal of the Solar Schools’ initiative is to provide schools with a clean energy future, and a full curriculum programme of solar and energy topics. All schools around New Zealand can register with Solar Schools, the SolarCity team will tailor the best technology package and funding model for each school, and implement the programme’s curriculum tools for free.

ENDS

© Scoop Media