Schools Partnership Launched in Swan Hill

Central Victoria Solar City and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development have joined in partnership to demonstrate how schools, teachers and students can create, and learn about, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Through building retrofits, the installation of solar infrastructure, and classroom activities and projects, CVSC and the Department hope to inspire the next generation of engineers, town planners, site managers and financiers of renewable energy.

As part of the partnership two schools, Swan Hill Primary School, and Castlemaine Secondary College, have been chosen to showcase the possibilities of energy efficiency and renewable energy generation in education.

At the launch at Swan Hill Primary, Grade 6 students raced their boats to many cheers as teachers, students and invited guests looked on.

Central Victoria Solar City has provided funding for the installation of fixed and tracking solar infrastructure at Swan Hill Primary School. Using software students will regularly monitor and report on their school’s energy generation. Central Victoria Solar City is also funding Swan Hill Primary’s model solar boat challenge, which teaches students how clean technology works through the building of solar racing boats. Castlemaine Secondary College have been able to purchase materials, including new class sets of solar panels, to create model solar cars that they race in the Victorian and National Model Solar Cars Challenge. CVSC also provided support to share these exciting projects with other schools. A learning guide on how to develop a solar boat and solar car will be available from the CVSC website in the next fortnight, as well as on the Department of Education’s intranet. A video case study showcasing the projects and activities of the two lighthouse schools will also be available on the website in the coming weeks.

If you would like to read case studies about Swan Hill Primary and Castlemaine Secondary College’s Solar Boat and Solar Car racing challenges, please click on the images below.

If you would like to download the curriculum units for Swan Hill Primary and Castlemaine Secondary College’s Solar Boat and Solar Car racing challenges, please click on the links below.

Model Solar Boat Challenge Curriculum Unit

Model Solar Car Challenge Curriculum Unit