Ladies’ college leading the renewable drive

Republished from Education Review, 2 July 2019.

A Melbourne school is leading the way towards a sustainable future, becoming one of the first schools in Australia to become 100 per cent net renewable by 2020.

Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC) has signed an agreement with a wholesale electricity provider to source its energy from off-site wind and solar farms and a “large-scale, on-campus solar PV system”. Surplus energy will also be shared back into the community via the grid.

PLC Principal Dawn Clements said the school is proud to be reducing its carbon footprint and being a front runner in renewable energy.

“This project will help inspire and encourage our girls to continue to seek more sustainable solutions for future generations,” Ms Clements said.

“We are very excited about the project and we look forward to doing our part in achieving a low emissions future.”

Students are enthusiastic about the College’s new energy system, with direct access to energy readings allowing them to better understand the College’s energy use.

“Climate change is a major issue for our generation so we’re excited that our College is leading the way in making such a change. The real-time data will help us to better understand where our energy is coming from and how much we’re using. It will also help us adopt more energy efficient practisces,” PLC school captain Imashi Iddawela said.

Education Review spoke to the college’s business manager, Hamish Blair, about the ambitious commitment.