Almost 200 Australian public schools are waiting on a national funding deal that will give eachof them $50,000 in grants to spend on solar panels and other solar energy saving equipment. A disagreement between the state and federal governments over how exactly the money should be distributed has seen schools waiting for a year for their grants.
The National Solar Schools Program was introduced three years ago as a way of helping meet the government’s ‘20 per cent renewable energy’ target. The Victorian schools that are waiting for their grants were told that they would receive it by the end of 2010, but are still waiting, and getting frustrated.
One Victorian school principal contacted the government to see why the solar energy funds hadnot come through yet, and was told that the “grants would be paid to Victoria once a National Partnership Agreement has been signed between the Commonwealth and Victoria”.
A State government spokesman, James Martin, said that Victoria had signed off on the deal last month and next month the grants would begin getting to the schools.
The program is already open again for entrants to compete for 2011/2012 solar energy grants, with $25.04 million available in funding this time around. Successful schools can use the grants to install solar and other renewable power systems, solar hot water systems, rainwater tanks and a range of other energy efficiency devices such as lighting, sensors, shade awnings and double glazing.
