Solar Power for The King David School
In line with the school’s commitment to educating for a sustainable future, students will take personal responsibility for electricity consumption at Melbourne’s The King David School.
Anna Fink, co-captains Ella Freeman, Freya Boltman and principal Marc Light
The project involves the installation of solar panels across all King David campuses, reducing the School’s reliance on the grid by up to 80 percent when the system comes online in September.
Linked to an innovative app, students will be able to monitor electricity generation and consumption at each campus in real-time.
The effect of turning off lights, reducing air conditioning use and unplugging unused equipment will immediately be fed back to the students via monitors placed throughout the school, positively reinforcing power-saving actions.
King David Principal Marc Light, is championing this initiative and commented that “at KingDavid, our staff and students understand the importance of creating a sustainable future. It is also an exciting and tangible teaching opportunity to educate our students about the science behind solar power and the ways we can reduce our environmental footprint.”
There are already many programs across the School where even the youngest students participate in activities that reduce the School’s environmental impact. Students are encouraged to bring “nude food” to school for lunch, eliminating packaging waste; paper use is minimised with strict printer monitoring; and food scraps are saved from the school tuckshops for composting.
The School has a dedicated Sustainability Committee which considers environmental responsibility in all aspects of School life.
Anna Fink, Junior School teacher and head of the School’s Sustainability Committee said, “with students able to see in real-time the amount of energy being generated on the roof of the School, they can see how each person has the ability to make a difference to the environment without it costing a lot of money.”
Co-School Captain Ella Freeman said, “we are delighted to see our school take action on themost pressing issue facing our generation today.” Co-Captain Freya Boltman continued, “we hope to see a culture of environmental awareness and action permeate the school community as a result of this green initiative.”
The King David School is educating and modelling a generation of people where sustainability is not simply a choice to make, but a lived experience.
A fantastic initiative!