Minister for Education Norma Foley has announced that 125 schools in the county have received free Solar PV panels.
This is part of the Solar for Schools Programme which was launched last year.
“I want to congratulate the schools in Kerry for getting Solar PV panels installed under this scheme. This has delivered a rooftop revolution, helping schools in Kerry to reduce their carbon emissions and to reduce their energy bills by up to €1,600 each not just for one year, but every year."
Each roof mounted PV panel is the equivalent of approximately 14 solar panels and could save a school between €1200 and €1600 on energy bills.
Since the launch of the programme, more than 1,000 schools have been approved for PV panels on their roofs in 11 areas around the country.
Minister Foley has now approved funding to proceed with solar PV installations for all school nationwide as part of the second and final phase of the programme. This means that up to 4,000 primary, post-primary and special schools in the country are now eligible for PV panels.
Minister Foley said: “I have seen the PV panels in place in many of the schools that I have visited. I believe the Solar for Schools Programme will accelerate the installation of PV panels on the roofs of homes and businesses because people can see the benefits of renewable energy in action in their local school buildings.”
The solar PV panels in schools are being connected to the electricity grid, so that solar energy can power other homes and businesses when schools are closed at weekends and during school holidays.
The overall programme will see up to 24 megawatts of installed renewable energy provision on schools with associated savings in the region of €5.5 million per year across 4,000 schools. Monitoring software is also being provided to each school to allow review and discussion of the energy generated each day for staff and students.
The Solar for Schools Programme is funded by the Government’s Climate Action Fund in line with the Government’s recognition that taking action on climate change is central to Ireland’s social and economic development.
