Edmonton Schools to install Solar Panels

In an era when many public school systems are struggling with budget cuts, one school district has found an innovative way to save money – while benefiting our environment.

Earlier this week, the Edmonton Public School Board voted unanimously to request $50 million from the Alberta government to put solar panels on the roofs of as many as one-quarter of schools in the district.

Queen Elizabeth High School in Edmonton was the first school in Alberta to install rooftop solar panels

Saving Money – and Energy

Two weeks ago, school district administrators proposed a plan to install solar arrays on the roofs of 52 schools over the next eight years. They project that doing so would save the district an estimated $4 million per year in electricity costs, which would add up to $40 to $50 million total over the panels’ lifespan.

Solar panels on a rooftop of a school library

Once the panels are in place, they could generate more than 40 percent of the district’s electricity, according to a feasibility study completed in 2017. As part of the plan, the district would also try to strike a deal with a utility company to sell any excess electricity the panels generate back to the grid.

School board member Trisha Estabrooks said a Grade 3 student expressed surprise when he learned schools didn’t have solar panels already.

“Our students, and kids in our schools, they are our guide. It is time that these panels are there. They know it, we know it and the potential of this is huge,” she said.

Funding to Come From Climate Leadership Plan

School board leaders are hopeful the district will be eligible for funds from the province’s Climate Leadership Plan, which is moving to phase out coal-generated electricity and generate 5,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity over the next 12 years.

The program’s goal is to generate at least 30 percent of Alberta’s electricity from renewable sources – such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power – by 2030. The program has earmarked $1.8 billion for green infrastructure and energy-efficiency projects in 2018 alone.

Edmonton Public Schools’ EnviroMatters Initiative

Meanwhile, several other schools within the district have already each received $750,000 to install solar panels on their roofs. Solar panels are currently in place at Riverdale, Hillview, Kate Chegwin and Queen Elizabeth schools – the latter of which has been dubbed “The Greenest School in Canada” in 2015 by the Green Building Council.

As part of the Edmonton school system’s EnviroMatters initiative, alternative energy sources and environmental education and awareness are areas of focus throughout the district. As such, any new rooftop installations will be designed with cutaways, so students can get an inside view of how the panels work. Another possibility involves implementing online dashboards to monitor the solar panels’ electricity consumption, which would allow teachers to use the data in their lessons.

The EnviroMatters initiative also emphasizes environmentally friendly practices within the schools themselves, including:

• Energy conservation
• Recycling and composting
• Sustainable purchasing
• LEED certification for school buildings
• Green cleaning products and pest control supplies

By becoming a leader in sustainability and committing to reducing their carbon footprint, Edmonton’s public schools have the opportunity to be part of the nationwide push toward environmentally friendly measures, while protecting the environment for future generations.