Prime Minister's Solar Powered Cubby Signals the Future Parents Want
More 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.
Suzie Brown, National Director, Australian Parents for Climate Action said “Solar Our Schools would solve the Federal Government’s energy woes, create thousands of jobs, save thousands of dollars in energy bills that can be spent on education resources, and help make the climate safer for our kids. It’s a no-brainer. Instead of wasting taxpayer money on gas, which won’t address climate change or electricity prices, the Prime Minister should be investing in solutions like Solar Our Schools, which solve pressing economic, environmental, and energy challenges today while setting us up for the future.”
Solar Our Schools would create over 7,000 jobs in renewable energy and education industries across Australia and save schools and centres money, according to research by Beyond Zero Emissions.
Their research also shows that the energy savings from having solar plus income from selling their excess solar energy as a “virtual power plant” would save large schools and centres $114,000, and small schools and centres $12,700 per year.
Having solar and batteries on all schools and early childhood centres would allow them to operate as virtual power plants for local communities, stabilising the electricity grid by providing dispatchable power during peak times when schools are closed, like school holidays, weekends and evenings.
Richard Buckingham, Principal of Queenscliff Primary School in Victoria said "Solar would make a huge difference to our school, saving us money on our bills and engaging the students in doing something positive on cutting carbon emissions. Government support would allow us to make this a reality, not just a dream."
Share PostContinue Reading
Read MoreParents to NSW Government: our kids can't afford another coal expansion
June 12, 2026
The NSW Government today ignored a clear warning from its own independent climate adviser: that expanding coal mining breaks the state's climate laws, and our kids will pay for it. The Government accepted four of the Commission's five findings but refused to accept the...
Read moreParents for Climate Statement: CSIRO's Climate Science Cuts Are a Threat to Every Australian Family
June 10, 2026
Last week, CSIRO announced it will cut 92 positions from its environment unit, including roughly five of the twelve scientists who maintain ACCESS, Australia's own climate model. We want to be clear about what this means, and why it matters. ACCESS (the Australian...
Read moreShowing Up to Celebrate World Environment Day!
June 08, 2026
When we put a call out to our national local group network to host an event for World Environment Day, we weren’t sure exactly what would end up on the calendar. What we did know is that whatever our local groups decided to do...
Read more