It's a no brainer: creating clean local jobs Australia-wide, slashing school and centre electricity costs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to protect our climate. We're asking state and federal governments to make this a reality.
Solar and batteries significantly cut power bills for schools and early childhood centres by using and storing free energy from the sun.
To achieve these savings, schools and centres need grant funding for their solar and battery system, and to become part of a "virtual power plant" where they can sell their excess solar power to the community.
Open letter:
Dear Federal, State and Territory leaders,
We call on all governments to work together to Solar Our Learning, by funding solar and batteries for every school and early childhood centre in Australia (with means-tested grants for privately-owned schools and for-profit early learning centres).
This will slash school and early chidhood centre energy bills, freeing up more funds for learning resources and childcare places. It will save large schools $114,000 in energy bills per year and small schools $12,700 per year (Beyond Zero Emissions) and early childhood centres $12,400 - $14,600 per year (Utilizer Energy Consultants). Create at least 6,870 renewable energy jobs in all regions of Australia. Protect schools and early childhood centres from future energy price rises, reducing financial pressures on services and parents alike. And help secure a safe climate for young and future Australians by saving millions of tonnes of carbon emissions.
This is Australia’s largest clean energy proposal that will benefit every community in the country. Let’s Solar Our Learning.
The Solar Our Learning open letter is endorsed by:
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Yarralea Children's Centre |
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Sources:
* Beyond Zero Emissions ‘Million Jobs Plan’ 2020 - This plan, developed in conjunction with Tesla, provides for large schools to utilise 250kW of solar plus a medium battery and small schools to use 25kW of solar panels plus a small battery.
** Based on a analysis of a random selection of 500 childcare provider energy consumptions figures, conducted for Parents for Climate by Utilizer Energy Consultants
Share this campaign with your networks and help build an unstoppable wave of positive public support for Solar Our Learning.
After 15 years of campaign management and senior leadership roles for global and national non-government organisations in Australia and the UK, Nic took a year out to care for his second child. He then joined Parents for Climate as its CEO in 2021, determined to facilitate effective public pressure for climate action. Nic brings his experience in delivering award winning public campaigns, rapid strategy development and organisational leadership to support the team at Parents for Climate to achieve rapid growth and strategic impact.
Nic lives in Sydney with his two incredible kids and an inspiring partner. They have a lot of fun exploring nature and playing together.
"I’m really excited to be taking up the position of CEO of Parents for Climate. What we do now will decide the scale of the challenge our kids face. We can act now for a safe climate for all families. That’s why I’m passionate about this role. I get to work with a skilled and talented movement of people who are driven by their love for the kids in their lives."
"Our parenting years are busy. We work hard at home and in our jobs. But these years are also the most beautiful moments of our lives. Every action we take as parents creates happier, healthier lives for our children too. So thank you for taking action, working hard and for everything you do to make the climate safer for all. I look forward to working alongside you on our journey to securing a safe climate."
This Mother’s Day parents around Australia are preparing to take their children to the Climate Strikes on May 21 to call for Federal government action on climate. But how do we communicate about climate change with our children without giving them - and ourselves - anxiety?
A free online event Transforming Climate Grief on Monday May 10th, hosted by Australian Parents for Climate Action, will unpack answers to these big questions. The panel will delve into the personal story of TV presenter and author Jonica Newby, who went on a quest to heal her own climate grief.
Read moreTasmanian parents are welcoming election commitments from both major parties to implement a $5m renewable energy program in the state’s schools, with the Liberals matching Labor.
Parents who helped push for the promise are today celebrating.
“This is a win for our children, because renewable energy in schools will create local jobs, save money on school electricity bills and reduce carbon emissions”, says Hobart mother Madeline Hanson.
Read more
You're invited to join the growing community of +20,000 parents and carers who are working together to ensure a safer climate for our children.
By joining forces, we can drive greater action from government, big business, and within our local communities.
We are united by our love for our kids and grandkids and guided by our vision for a safe, prosperous future for all children.
Sign up* become a supporter and receive the latest news, events and actions you can get involved in.
*As a bonus for signing up today - you will receive 2 specially selected, kid-friendly recipes from Food Wise - A Kids Guide to Fighting Food Waste and Saving the Planet
Together we are stronger, we look forward to working towards a safe climate where our kids can thrive.
Whilst the Australian federal government has set a net zero target for 2050, we can all reduce our own carbon emissions now by making Personal Change. But we must also push governments and businesses to act by working toward Local Change and Widespread Change.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
28 JANUARY 2021
AUSTRALIAN PARENTS for Climate Action has renewed calls for the Federal Government to prioritise funding for solar panels on every school and early childhood education centre in Australia, ahead of the deadline for public submissions for the next Federal Budget.
Read moreWrite to the Northern Territory Minister for Education asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.
You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.
Email your letter to: [email protected]
Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
The Hon Lauren Moss MP Minister for Education
GPO Box 3146 Darwin NT 0801
Dear Minister,
RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres
INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.
I am writing to ask the Northern Territory State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia.
This excellent economic investment will:
I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.
In the past the Northern Territory Government has funded some state schools to get solar panels, however there are still many state schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and very few with batteries.
In addition, many early childhood centres and small independent schools across the Northern Territory do not have solar or batteries, and find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar.
Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.
INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?
What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator.
Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.
Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.
Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.
I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:
INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
(Your full name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------
What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?
Sign and share the Open Letter.
Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.
Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.
Northern Territory White Outline Map Australia from Vector.me
Write to the Western Australia Minister for Education and Training asking her to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.
You can cut and paste the templates below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.
Email your letter to: [email protected]
Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
The Hon Sue Ellery MP, Minister for Education and Training
Level 13, Dumas House, 2 Havelock Street,
WEST PERTH WA 6005
Dear Minister,
RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres
INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.
I am writing to you to congratulate your government's recent pre-election announcement to fund a $44.6 million Schools Clean Energy Technology package, and further ask the Western Australian State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia.
This excellent economic investment will:
I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.
Western Australia has made good progress in installing solar and batteries on some state schools, but there is still a large number of schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and many more without batteries. Many Western Australian early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries.
Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.
INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?
What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator.
Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.
Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.
Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.
I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:
INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
(Your full name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------
What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?
Sign and share the Open Letter.
Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.
Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.
Write to the Victorian Minister for Education asking him to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.
You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.
Email your letter to: [email protected]
Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
The Hon James Merlino MP Minister for Education
GPO Box 4367 Melbourne Vic 3001
Dear Minister,
RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres
INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.
I am writing to ask the Victorian State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia.
This excellent economic investment will:
I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.
We welcome the Victorian Government’s recent announcement of 600MW of renewable energy to be sourced from wind and solar farms in order to power Victoria’s state schools, hospitals and trains.
Providing solar and batteries to schools directly is a great opportunity to further bolster renewable energy take-up. There are still many Victorian state schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and none with batteries. Many Victorian early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries. Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.
INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?
What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator.
Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.
Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.
Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.
I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:
INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
(Your full name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------
What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?
Sign and share the Open Letter.
Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.
Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.
Write to the South Australian Minister for Education asking him to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.
You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.
Email your letter to: [email protected]
Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
The Hon John Gardner MP, Minister for Education
GPO Box 1563 Adelaide SA 5001
Dear Minister,
RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres
INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.
I am writing to ask the South Australian State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia.
This excellent economic investment will:
I am one of more than 11,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.
South Australia has made good progress in installing solar on state schools, but there is still a large number of schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and none with batteries. Many SA early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries.
Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.
INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool
What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator.
Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.
Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.
Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.
I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:
INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
(Your full name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------
What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?
Sign and share the Open Letter.
Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.
Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.
Write to the Tasmanian Minister for Education and Training asking him to work in partnership with the federal government to support funding and remove barriers to Solar Our Schools.
You can cut and paste the template below and customise it where indicated. Or write your own letter.
Email your letter to: jeremy.rockliff@parliament.tas.gov.au
Please also bcc our Volunteer Director [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
The Hon Jeremy Rockliff MP, Minister for Education and Training
Level 10, 15 Murray Street Hobart Tas 7000
Dear Minister,
RE Solar Infrastructure for Schools & Early Learning Centres
INSERT: Brief specific info — how many children you have, where you live and why you are worried about their future due to climate change.
I am writing to ask the Tasmanian State Government to work in partnership with the Federal Government to support Solar Our Schools: a COVID-19 recovery initiative that would see solar panels and batteries in all schools and early childhood centres across Australia.
This excellent economic investment will:
I am one of more than 12,000 parents nationwide who have signed Australian Parents for Climate Action's open letter to the Prime Minister calling for Federal support for Solar Our Schools.
We congratulate you for implementing the $5m Renewable Energy Schools Fund in 2021. Tasmania has no current programs for installing batteries on state schools. There are still many Tasmanian state schools without solar or with insufficient solar, and many early childhood centres and independent schools find the financial and administrative burden too great to access solar or batteries.
Installing solar panels in a distributed way across the rooftops of early childhood centres and all schools allows them to generate solar for their operations, saving them many thousands of dollars in electricity bills, which can be put towards teaching and learning resources.
INSERT: Brief information about your own kids' school/preschools and whether they have solar. Why would solar (or more solar) and batteries be good for your school/preschool?
What's exciting about coupling solar with batteries is that it unlocks the ability of schools and early childhood centres to become Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) — allowing them to trade their excess solar power with the community via an energy market operator.
Homes like mine in the surrounding area can choose to buy dispatchable energy from school VPPs, enabling the school to earn money to put towards learning resources. This will also stabilize the grid during peak demand events. Schools are closed during most peak demand events — weekends, evenings and school holidays.
Enabling every Australian school and early childhood centre to act as VPPs would provide also 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power into the electricity grid — the equivalent of the Liddell coal-fired power plant.
Importantly, allowing schools to act as VPPs also enables their surrounding communities to have a resilient local power source and emergency safe haven, which is increasingly important in regional areas as we face climate-related big weather events.
I ask that you commit to working with the Federal Government to:
INSERT: Brief personal message about why this is so important to you.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
(Your full name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------
What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?
Sign and share the Open Letter.
Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.
Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.
Image: Tasmania Outline White Map Australia from Vector.me
MEDIA RELEASE - 7TH OCTOBER 2020
Opportunity missed for a Green Recovery
Australian parents asking for a safer future for their children have been ignored in this Federal Budget, saying a key opportunity has been badly missed for a green recovery from Covid-19 that also addresses the dire climate threat.
More than 10,000 parents sent a loud message to the Federal Government in the lead up to the Federal Budget that they want investment in renewable energy, in the form of an innovative initiative Solar Our Schools, which would see solar and batteries put on all schools and early childhood centres.
But the government has instead chosen to invest in a gas-led recovery, embedding its relationship with the fossil fuel industry.
Read moreMore than 10,000 Australian parents have signed an open letter asking Prime Minister Scott Morrison to fund solar panels and batteries for all Australian schools and early childhood centres. A COVID-safe convoy of 20 parents delivered the petition via a ‘solar-powered cubby house’ to the Prime Minister’s residence at Kirribilli House, on Wednesday 30th of September 2020.
Read moreMEDIA RELEASE - 18TH SEPTEMBER 2020
Australian Parents for Climate Action (AP4CA) have presented a “no-brainer” solution to the Prime Minister’s challenge for the energy industry to come up with a way to generate 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power.
AP4CA are asking the federal government to fund their Solar Our Schools initiative in the October federal budget. Their initiative would replace Liddell coal-fired power plant’s capacity whilst also delivering co-benefits like thousands of regional jobs across Australia.
“Parents want a safe future for our children, and do not want to see the Federal government investing in more fossil fuels like gas”, says AP4CA’s National Director Suzie Brown.
Morrison expressed concern on Tuesday that new power generation would be needed because of the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power plant in 2023, with Energy Minister Angus Taylor saying the government needs 1000 megawatts of dispatchable energy committed by April next year.
AP4CA say their Solar Our Schools initiative would easily and sustainably solve these energy shortage woes by generating 907 megawatts of solar power, coupled with 2,230 MWh of batteries, and stabilise the energy grid by enabling schools and early childhood centres to operate as Virtual Power Plants.
“Having solar and batteries across the whole country located on schools and early childhood centres would provide the peaking power needed on hot days, negating the need for the government to build a large gas power station. Schools are closed when peak demand events generally occur”, says AP4CA’s National Director Suzie Brown.
“Putting solar and batteries in schools and early childhood centres and allowing them to operate as Virtual Power Plants would address the nation’s power needs, save large amounts of money on schools’ and early childhood centres’ power bills, create over 7,000 regional jobs in renewables, and reduce carbon emissions by millions of tonnes per year”, says Brown, “a win-win for the economy and a safe future”.
AP4CA’s open letter to the Prime Minister asking him to implement Solar Our Schools already has more than 5,600 parents’ signatories. Their members are meeting with Federal politicians in the lead up to delivering the open letter to the Prime Minister.
The Solar Our Schools initiative is based on data from Beyond Zero Emissions’ Million Jobs Plan, which provides for large schools and centres to utilise 250kW of solar plus a medium battery and small schools and centres to use 25kW of solar panels plus a small battery. Large schools and centres are modelled to save $114,000 and small schools and centres to save $12,700 per year, based on a fully funded system of solar and batteries and participation as a Virtual Power Plant.
Contact AP4CA Heidi Lee Douglas, 0401 092 57 [email protected];
Suzie Brown 0419 002 606 [email protected] (Photo Suzie Brown, National Director AP4CA)
Read more