Schools

The Solar Schools project provided funding and support for the installation of solar hot water and photovoltaic systems on schools.

SolarBC in collaboration with the Province of BC, WildBC and the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund has developed solar lesson plans to help educators integrate learning about solar energy and solar installations into the classroom.

Solar Hot Water

 

From 2008 through 2011, the Solar Schools project provided funding and support for the installation of solar hot water on schools. Currently there are 40 schools in BC that have installed solar hot water, with 2 underway.

 

 

 

 Schools that have installed solar hot water:

  • David Thompson Secondary School, Invermere
  • Mile 108 Elementary School,108 Mile Ranch
  • 150 Mile Elementary School, 150 Mile House
  • Rutland Secondary School, Kelowna
  • Burnaby South Secondary School, Burnaby
  • HD Stafford Middle School, Langley
  • Langley Fine Arts School
  • St. Michaels University School, Victoria
  • Brentwood College, Mill Bay
  • Frances Kelsey Secondary School, Mill Bay
  • Samuel Brighouse Elementary School, Richmond
  • Queen Margaret School, Duncan
  • Cedar Valley Waldorf School, Squamish
  • Shawnigan Lake School
  • Glenrosa Middle School, West Kelowna
  • Boundary Central Secondary School, Midway
  • Highland Secondary School, Comox
  • Lord Byng Secondary School, Vancouver
  • Vancouver Technical Secondary School
  • Windermere Secondary School, Vancouver
  • David Thompson Secondary School, Vancouver
  • Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School, Vancouver
  • Delta Secondary School
  • Seaquam Secondary School, Delta
  • Burnsview Secondary School, North Delta
  • Timberline Secondary School, Campbell River
  • Oliver Elementary School
  • Chemainus Secondary School
  • Cowichan Secondary School, Duncan
  • Abbotsford Middle School
  • Robert Bateman Secondary School, Abbotsford
  • Williams Lake Secondary School
  • Horse Lake Elementary School
  • Dover Bay Secondary School, Nanaimo
  • John Barsby Secondary School, Nanaimo
  • Ladysmith Secondary School
  • Mark Isfeld Secondary School, Courtenay
  • South Okanagan Secondary School, Oliver
  • Whistler Secondary School
  • Quw'utsun Smun'een Elementary School, Duncan

Schools that are in the process of installing solar hot water systems:

  • J. A. Laird Elementary School, Invermere
  • Brooks Field House, Brooks Secondary School, Powell River

The installation of solar hot water systems on schools demonstrates the leadership of the school in reducing GHG emissions and encourages students and their families to investigate renewable energy solutions in their homes. Solar hot water is an innovative technology that reduces the carbon footprint of the school along with energy costs. While showing an on-the-ground climate action initiative, the installation provides a teaching opportunity about the possibilities for renewable energy usage and employment opportunities in the renewable energy sector, one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.

Solar PV

SolarBC also provided funding for the installation of demonstration photovoltaic (PV) projects on schools.  We have 8 schools that have installed solar PV and another 9 schools that are in the process of installing PV systems.

Oak Bay High School students led a project to install a PV system at their school and SolarBC stepped in to assist with funding.  Three more schools: Dover Bay Secondary School, Nanaimo; Reynolds Secondary School, Victoria; and Admiral Seymour Secondary School, Vancouver competed at the BC Green Games to win grants from SolarBC for PV installations.

In the fall of 2010, SolarBC announced an opportunity for schools to apply for funding to install 2.5 kW PV systems on their buildings.  A total of 51 applications were received! Students, teachers, administrators, and parents worked together to prepare applications that were brimming with amazing ideas and lots of examples of existing green projects in schools. The enthusiasm and dedication that went into writing the applications were impressive.  A selection committee from SolarBC, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Energy and Mines had the difficult task of selecting 11 schools to receive up to $20,000 each for installing PV.  The schools began their installations in the late spring of 2011 and some are now complete.  Some schools managed to stretch their funding to install PV systems as large as 5.5 kW!

Schools that have installed PV systems:

  • Oak Bay High School, Oak Bay
  • Dover Bay Secondary School, Nanaimo
  • Reynolds Secondary School, Victoria
  • Admiral Seymour Secondary School, Vancouver
  • Kelowna Waldorf School, Kelowna
  • G. P. Vanier Secondary School, Courtenay
  • Rockridge Secondary School, West Vancouver
  • Shawnigan Lake School, Shawnigan Lake

 Schools that are installing PV Systems:

*       Claremont Secondary School, Saanich,
*       Golden Secondary School, Golden,
*       Highglen Pubic Montessori Elementary School, Prince George,
*       LV Rogers Secondary School, Nelson,
*       McNair Secondary School, Richmond,
*       North Peace Secondary School, Fort St. John,
*      Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School, Vancouver
 
In addition, False Bay School on Lasqueti Island and Princess Margaret Secondary School in Surrey will be installing PV systems instead of the solar hot water systems that were originally funded by SolarBC.