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Bid to solar all schools

SOLAR panels will be installed on the rooftop of every school in the Inner West under a bold plan launched by Mayor Darcy Byrne.

Youth kicked off bright idea

The Inner West Solar my School program was launched at the 2019 Western Sydney Climate Justice Summit.
Solar my School will see the council provide direct brokerage and logistical assistance to schools to install solar on their buildings with the aim of seeing every local school powered by solar.
The program is an extension of the successful project initiated by Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra councils and makes use of a State Government grants scheme that offers 50 per cent funding for new solar installations.

More than 150 high school students from across Western Sydney gathered at Petersham Town Hall for the free two-day Western Sydney Climate Justice Summit. The summit featured inspiring speakers and young change-makers, and provided an opportunity to other motivated youth to build skills to run campaigns for meaningful climate action.


The program has been launched following a direct request to Mayor Byrne last year from high school students from the Sydney Student Leaders’ Coalition seeking help in delivering solar power to local schools.
“These young leaders have a goal of seeing every school in the Inner West powered by solar and we have launched Solar my School to make it happen,” Mayor Byrne said.
“It’s a crying shame that the rooftop space of schools has not been systematically used for solar until now and it has taken the wisdom on youth to help kick our community into gear.”
He says school communities can now register for the program and “we will help them with raising funds, approval processes and the installation of solar panels”.
“We want to see solar panels on the rooftop of every school in the Inner West and through this program we can make it happen,” he said.
“I strongly encourage all school students in the Inner West to take the initiative and propose through their SRC or P&C, that their school sign up for Solar my School.”
To find out more about Solar My Schools, go to innerwest.nsw.gov.au/solarmyschool