Last month, we took part in an informal ‘Cuppa Club’ webinar, hosted by the ethical crowd-funding platform, Ethex. In this short edit of the webinar recording, included below, you'll hear why our focus is on schools.
So, why did we set up Solar for Schools? The answer to that is a sobering one. As our co-founder Robert explains; persuading our generation to make the significant changes needed for us to decarbonise in time is a challenge. In some cases, there’s a certain amount of denial. We’re distracted, overwhelmed perhaps, and have other challenges on our plates. But the generation of the future – our children and their children – have graver concerns about the state of the planet and its future, and they have more time to learn about it. If they’re empowered with ways of doing something about the climate crisis, they are great influencers.
Robert explains; ‘When young people ask me in schools “What can we do to fight climate change?” I say: “There are two billion young people in the world out of the 8 billion total inhabitants on the planet. That means each of you need only to persuade two parents and a grandparent, on average, to make a difference”.’
As Ann Flaherty, our UK Director explains, ‘it’s all about involving the students’.
And we start with that from day one. Students can plan and design the solar system themselves and we involve them again at the installation process. This means that again and again, we see students take real ownership of their school’s system. Once the solar is working and commissioned, we run lessons and workshops. Not just for the first year, but for the 25 years that that system will last.
Ann concludes that “It’s absolutely essential that young people have a hands-on approach”. And so, while it is about putting panels on school roofs, for the CBS, the critical element is the investment in the young people.
ABOVE: Students from Parkside Community Collage in Cambridge play on our 'panelizer' tool to assess the solar potential for their school roof.
"Now our roof hums with green energy, powering our classrooms and sparking the imaginations of our young eco-warriors"
Emma-Jane Kelly, Headteacher at Barn Croft Primary School.
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