The School That Went Solar

A story about climate action that starts with measuring, asking and listening.

It began with a science project. Anh’s class had to measure how much electricity the school used, and the results shocked them. The air conditioners, lights and computers added up to a huge amount. Every month, the school paid thousands of dollars to the power company.

“What if we made our own?” said Anh. Her teacher, Mr Okoro, raised an eyebrow. “How?” he asked. “Solar panels,” said Anh. “The roof faces north, and it is flat. It gets sun all day.” The class looked at one another. It was a big idea.

They formed a group called the Sun Squad, with six students. They began by researching. They learned that a typical school could save around a third of its electricity bill with a good system. They checked what the panels cost, and how long they would take to pay for themselves.

They worked out that the system would cost about eighty thousand dollars, and would pay back in around seven years. After that, the power would be nearly free. They put the numbers into a spreadsheet, and drew a graph. It was convincing.

Next, they had to persuade the principal. They booked a meeting. Anh stood up and presented, with her hands trembling. The principal, Ms Warrick, listened. “It is a good case,” she said, “but we do not have eighty thousand dollars. Where would it come from?”

The Sun Squad had not expected that. They went back to the drawing board. They found out that the government offered grants for schools to install solar. They found a local company that gave discounts for community projects. They set up a fundraising page.

It took a year. They held a sausage sizzle, a movie night and a walkathon. The community donated, and the grant came through. At the end of the year, they had enough. A team of electricians arrived, and installed a long row of black panels on the roof.

On the day of the switch-on, the whole school gathered on the oval. Anh pressed a big green button. A screen in the foyer lit up. It showed a number, rising as the panels began to generate. “We are making our own power,” she said, and the crowd cheered.

Over the next year, the school saved a great deal of money. The savings paid for new library books. Anh looked up at the roof one afternoon, and she smiled. A small project had grown into something big, and it was a good feeling to have made a difference.

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