In 2028 Beth Mellick , President of the School Council, wrote this article outlining how the school student body managed to win 50KW of solar Panels for their school.
The Sun shines on Castlemaine Secondary College
Just in time for the summer sun the Castlemaine Secondary College has unveiled an impressive 50kW (200 panel) solar system, which has been switched on this week.
CSC School Captain and Sustainability Group member, Nioka Mellick-Cooper, entered a competition run by Origin Energy, and was very excited to find out her entry won the state prize of a 20kW solar system.
The school was also very excited to hear about the prize and decided to match it, increasing it to a 50kW system so it was better able to meet its energy needs.
“We are very proud to invest not only in students’ education but their future as well” said Principal Paul Frye.
“We have more than doubled the size of the system we won and it will now cut our electricity bill by a third” he noted.
The 50kW system will save over $13,000 per year and will pay itself back in under 3 years. Most importantly it cuts greenhouse gases by 76 tonnes per year and fits in with the school’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.
“We have a strong student commitment to tackling climate change, in fact in the last few weeks lots of students have been on strike to demand more action, so it’s important to us to see the school installing renewable energy” said Student Representative Council member Cohen Saunders.
Beth Mellick