Hundreds of schools across New Zealand will be outfitted with solar panels and batteries, transforming classrooms into independent clean-power hubs that can stay switched on during major civil defense emergencies.
The $30 million government initiative will target up to 500 schools by 2028, completely covering the cost of installation so schools pay nothing to join.
Energy Minister Simeon Brown said the rollout marks a major shift toward energy affordability, with standard systems estimated to pay for themselves within five to seven years.
Early modelling shows a standard 30kW school solar setup could wipe up to $8,000 a year off an individual school's electricity bills.
Combined, the solar network is expected to generate up to 10.1GWh of energy annually — enough to power 1,500 homes — with schools given the option to sell excess electricity back to the grid to unlock an estimated $6.7 million in revenue over a decade.
