What is Schoolgen?
Schoolgen is a programme developed by Genesis Energy (one of New Zealand's largest energy retailers and electricity generators) to bring solar energy to life for children across New Zealand. We want to bring solar energy to life in a fun, exciting way to children because young people are our future leaders and decision makers.
Schoolgen has three elements that work together or independently of each other:
- A 2-kilowatt photovoltaic system (solar panels) installed on the roof of selected schools at no cost to the school, so schools can generate a portion of their own electricity from the Sun;
- Real-time generation data from the solar panels linked to the Schoolgen website, accompanied by freely available teaching resources that have been designed to link with the new New Zealand Curriculum and able to be used by any school in New Zealand; and
- Support for schools from a full-time Environmental Educator.
School on 7 May 2008
Genesis Energy has provided 42 schools in the North Island with solar panels. We aim for every school in New Zealand to be aware of Schoolgen and be using the teaching resources to support children's learning about renewable energy, climate change and electricity generation. Schoolgen is supported by the Minister for the Environment's Sustainable Management Fund, which is administered by the Ministry for the Environment.
Why has Genesis Energy created Schoolgen
As a major supplier of electricity in New Zealand, Genesis Energy is conscious of the environmental effects of burning fossil fuels for electricity generation and the role we play in meeting the country's climate change objectives.
As the community's awareness of climate change increases and the reality of future energy supply issues for New Zealand approaches, Genesis Energy believes it is important for all New Zealanders to learn about renewable energy technologies. Through Schoolgen, schools are given practical means to incorporate an alternative electricity generation solution into their energy management programme.
Schoolgen is a key programme in Genesis Energy's Corporate Responsibility Strategy, along with our two other school based initiatives Tree People and ElectroCity. More information about Genesis Energy's CSR strategy can be found here.
Factsheet: Schoolgen
Programme Benefits
- Enabling students to learn about renewable energy, electricity generation, energy efficiency and climate change;
- Raising community, parent and staff awareness of
renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change; - Contributing to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
- Contributing to energy savings for the school;
- Schools are given the opportunity to incorporate energy/electricity/renewable energy/climate change into lesson plans;
- Selected schools have a 2kW PV system installed at no cost, apart from ongoing maintenance costs;
- Students and parents will be able to enthusiastically promote alternative energy forms across their local communities because they've experienced how it works;
- Schoolgen has been designed so that the administration process is simple with minimal resources and effort required by the schools.
Benefits of Photovoltaics include:
- They are virtually maintenance free and fairly unobtrusive;
- They work silently and produce no pollution;
- PV have less planning requirements than required for wind generation; and
- A PV system can be installed in stages; it can start small and be expanded as
energy use or financial resources of the
school grow.
