Smart Energy Schools Pilot Project

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Around 1,500 NSW public schools across the state have already installed 17 megawatts of solar energy systems. These systems are capable of generating enough energy to power 3,000 NSW homes, saving almost 17,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

But energy systems are rapidly transforming. Technology is changing and electricity customers can participate in new energy markets by generating, storing and selling electricity back to the electricity grid.

The Smart Energy Schools Pilot Project will test the most efficient and effective way for schools to take part in this exciting transition.

NSW public schools benefiting from renewable energy technology

Testing renewable energy

The Smart Energy Schools Pilot Project is testing new ways to produce, store and share clean, renewable energy in NSW public schools.

Running across 79 schools

The NSW Government program is the largest of its kind in Australia with around 7,488 solar panels and 4,605 kilowatt hours of battery energy storage capacity being installed at 79 public schools.

Virtual power plant technology

Schools will also take part in a Virtual Power Plant (VPP). A VPP uses smart software to manage the charging and discharging of batteries across multiple sites effectively acting like one large power plant.

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Testing solar and battery energy storage technology

Our pilot project will be rolled out in two stages, with schools receiving new or extra solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems.

The first stage of the project is now testing whether solar and battery energy storage systems can help reduce demand on the electricity system associated with air conditioning.

It’s testing whether solar and battery storage can be used to avoid costly upgrades to the electricity grid.

The second stage of the pilot project is testing the use of solar and battery storage systems as part of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).

Work to install the solar and battery systems has already started and is expected to be complete later this year.

The VPP will include a number of schools from Stage 1 and 2 and will also begin later this year.

An online portal will show how much energy is used, generated and stored at schools and can be used by teachers and students in classroom lessons in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Latest updates

More schools to benefit

An additional 18 NSW public schools will receive solar and battery energy storage systems and join the Virtual Power Plant trial as part of the Smart Energy Schools Pilot project.

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Testing off grid solar and battery system for isolated schools

Weilmoringle Public School has joined the Smart Energy Schools Pilot Program to help test the use of off grid renewable energy solutions in isolated schools.

Read case study

24 schools take part in first stage of pilot

Solar and battery energy storage systems and air conditioning units with smart controls have now been installed at 24 schools taking part in the first stage of the Smart Energy Schools Pilot project.

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Helpful resources

Case studies

Learn more about the Smart Energy Pilot Project running at schools in Nimbin Central School and Weilmoringle PS.

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More resources

Watch our animation

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See an aerial image of Nimbin Central School

See an aerial image of Kingswood Public School

Renewable energy terms explained

Battery energy storage

Battery energy technology works by storing electricity on site so that it can be discharged for use at a later time.

Read our factsheet

Virtual Power Plant (VPP)

Virtual power plant technology uses smart software to manage the charging and discharging of batteries across multiple sites to support the electricity network – effectively acting like one larger power plant.

Read our factsheet

Behind the meter

'Behind the meter' assets are located on or inside the customer's house or business. Behind the meter technologies are often called distributed energy resources (DER).

Read our factsheet

Front of the meter

'Front of the meter' technology is connected to either the electricity transmission or distribution network.

Read our factsheet

More information

Participating schools

The NSW Government announced the schools that are taking part in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Smart Energy Schools Pilot Project.

Additional solar PV generation and battery energy storage has also been installed at 7 schools as part of the NSW Government’s Smart Batteries for Key Government Buildings initiative, which is partly supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

The schools were selected to take part in the project based on their suitability for the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) trial, the need to avoid grid upgrades as a result of air conditioning, and the costs of the installations.

Schools are unable to apply to take part in the program.

Schools participating in the Smart Energy Schools Pilot

Stage 1 schools

School names	Solar capacity in Kilowatts	Battery capacity in kilowatt hours
Black Springs Public School	9 kilowatts	33.3 kilowatt hours
Bowral Public School	46.6 kilowatts	20 kilowatt hours
Coraki Public School	28 kilowatts	20 kilowatt hours
Dorrigo Public School	35 kilowatts	40 kilowatt hours
Duri Public School	14 kilowatts	13.3 kilowatt hours
Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School	99.7 kilowatts	18 kilowatt hours
Gerogery Public School	15.3 kilowatts	35 kilowatt hours
Glenbrook Public School	24.8 kilowatts	20 kilowatt hours
Gulgong Public School	39.9 kilowatts	20 kilowatt hours
Gymea Technology High School	87.75 kilowatts	46.7 kilowatt hours
Kingswood Public School	55.25 kilowatts	78.3 kilowatt hours
Lake Munmorah Public School	30 kilowatts	18.3 kilowatt hours
Lowesdale Public School	13.1 kilowatts	33 kilowatt hours
Lyndhurst Public School	11.8 kilowatts	20 kilowatt hours
Nemingha Public School	52 kilowatts	18 kilowatt hours
Sandon Public School	39 kilowatts	102 kilowatt hours
Stuart Town Public School	9.1 kilowatts	20 kilowatt hours
Vacy Public School	17.6 kilowatts	15 kilowatt hours
Walbundrie Public School	10.7 kilowatts	13.3 kilowatt hours
Wambangalang Environmental Education Centre	17 kilowatts	41.7 kilowatt hours
Werris Creek Public School	49 kilowatts	116.7 kilowatt hours
Willow Tree Public School	14.7 kilowatts	30 kilowatt hours
Yarrowitch Public School	10 kilowatts	16.7 kilowatt hours

Stage 2 schools

School names	Solar capacity in kilowatts	Battery capacity in kilowatt hours
Callaghan College Wallsend Campus	65 kilowatts	64 kilowatt hours
Carlingford High School	90.5 kilowatts	88 kilowatt hours
Deniliquin High School	99 kilowatts	71.2 kilowatt hours
Drummoyne Public School	40 kilowatts	96.5 kilowatt hours
Dubbo College Senior Campus	99 kilowatts	71.2 kilowatt hours
Dubbo College Delroy Campus	40 kilowatts	71.8 kilowatt hours
Endeavour Sports High School	99.6 kilowatts	61.2 kilowatt hours
Galston High School	30 kilowatts	63.3 kilowatt hours
Gunnedah High School	60 kilowatts	71.8 kilowatt hours
Homebush Boys High School	40 kilowatts	66 kilowatt hours
Hunter River High School	30 kilowatts	61.2 kilowatt hours
Hunter School of Performing Arts	99 kilowatts	63.6 kilowatt hours
Killara High School	99 kilowatts	61.2 kilowatt hours
Kotara High School	40 kilowatts	61.2 kilowatt hours
Lindfield Learning Village	99 kilowatts	110 kilowatt hours
Merewether High School	40 kilowatts	61.2 kilowatt hours
Monaro High School	75 kilowatts	71.8 kilowatt hours
Mulwaree High School	32 kilowatts	71.2 kilowatt hours
Muswellbrook High School	50 kilowatts	88 kilowatt hours
Narrabeen Sports High School	40 kilowatts	61.2 kilowatt hours
Newcastle High School	N/A	61.2 kilowatt hours
Quirindi High School	50 kilowatts	71.6 kilowatt hours
Rutherford Technology High School	99.6 kilowatts	61.2 kilowatt hours
Ryde Secondary College	30 kilowatts	71.8 kilowatt hours
Southern Cross Public School	40 kilowatts	71.2 kilowatt hours
Strathfield Girls High School	56 kilowatts	61.2 kilowatt hours
St Ives High School	90 kilowatts	66 kilowatt hours
Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt Campus	60 kilowatts	110.5 kilowatt hours
Turramurra High School	99 kilowatts	88 kilowatt hours
Ballina Coast High School	100 kilowatts	70 kilowatt hours
Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus	45 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Callaghan College Jesmond	100 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Cherrybrook Technology High School	180 kilowatts	100 kilowatt hours
Gorokan High School	48 kilowatts	100 kilowatt hours
Georges River College Oatley Senior Campus	77 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Gorokan High School	40 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Hurstville Public School	75 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Inner Sydney High School	20 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Karabar High School	100 kilowatts	100 kilowatt hours
Lambton High School	65 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Macintyre High School	32 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Mudgee High School	37 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Murray High School	67 kilowatts	100 kilowatt hours
Oxley High School	50 kilowatts	100 kilowatt hours
Peel High School	50 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Tomaree High School	31 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Waitara Public School	75 kilowatts	60 kilowatt hours
Yanco Agricultural High School	57 kilowatts	100 kilowatt hours

Stand-alone off grid systems

School names	Solar capacity in Kilowatts	Battery capacity in kilowatt hours
Wee Waa Public	16.6 kilowatts	15 kilowatt hours
Wee Waa High School	43 kilowatts	21.65 kilowatt hours
Weilmoringle Public School	10 kilowatts	19 kilowatt hours

Smart Batteries for Key Government Buildings initiative

School names	Solar capacity in kilowatts	Battery capacity in kilowatt hours
Beckom Public School	16 kilowatts	64 kilowatt hours
Jamison High School	50.5 kilowatts	66 kilowatt hours
Lake Wyangan Public School	7.9 kilowatts	16 kilowatt hours
Nimbin Central School	57 kilowatts	66 kilowatt hours
Singleton High School	56 kilowatts	66 kilowatt hours
Stockinbingal Public School	9.9 kilowatts	64 kilowatt hours
Tharbogang Public School	19.8 kilowatts	64 kilowatt hours

Note: capacity includes total solar system size, which may include exitsing and newly installed systems.

FAQs

How long will the pilot program operate?

We will collect and evaluate data from the program over the next 12 to 18 months, however the installations will continue to operate over the next decade or more.

How will the pilot program be assessed?

We will assess the installations against a range of technical, financial, economic, environmental, educational and resilience criteria.

We will also compare them with other ways of deploying renewable technology, such as a building a solar farm.

How can I view the energy data from the solar and battery systems?

We hope to make key learnings from the battery, solar PV and VPP systems available via an online portal or dashboard. This information could then be shared with students or the wider school community to help them understand new ways of generating and distributing renewable energy.

What happens to the energy generated during weekends and school holidays?

Energy that is not used or stored on site will be sold back into the electricity grid.

What criteria were used to select the schools for the pilot program?

The pilot program was designed to assess the most effective way to deploy solar photovoltaic, battery storage and virtual power plant technology in NSW public schools.

We also assessed factors such as the financial, economic, environmental, educational, and resilience benefits of the program against the overall cost.

Schools were selected to take part in the project based on a range of criteria such as:

electricity consumption
location
electrical capacity

How long will the batteries and solar panels last?

Solar panels generally have a life of between 20 and 25 years. Given battery storage is a relatively new technology, we're not totally sure how long they will last. We assume they have an asset life of about 10 years, but this may depend on the environment where they are operating - including how often they're charged and discharged.

What happens to the solar panels when they stop working?

If solar panels are removed, they will be sent to a recycling facility.

How will the project generate electricity when the sun isn’t shining?

Solar cells need sunlight to produce electricity. When the solar panels or batteries aren't supplying enough energy, schools will obtain energy from the electricity grid.

We recognise the Ongoing Custodians of the lands and waterways where we work and live. We pay respect to Elders past and present as ongoing teachers of knowledge, songlines and stories. We strive to ensure every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learner in NSW achieves their potential through education.

Smart Energy Schools Pilot Project

NSW public schools benefiting from renewable energy technology

Testing renewable energy

Running across 79 schools

Virtual power plant technology

Testing solar and battery energy storage technology

Latest updates

More schools to benefit

Testing off grid solar and battery system for isolated schools

24 schools take part in first stage of pilot

Helpful resources

Case studies

Renewable energy terms explained

More information

Expression of interest for renewable energy in schools

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