Powering the Future: Why Every Aussie School Needs Solar & Batteries

Powering the Future: Why Every Aussie School Needs Solar & Batteries

22 years ago, the Solar Schools initiative kicked off with a bold yet simple goal: help schools monitor and manage their energy use, and educate young Australians about energy.

Fast forward to 2023 — the results are phenomenal. Across 600 schools, the program helped reduce 45,000 tonnes of CO₂ and saved $7.8 million in taxpayer money. That’s real impact.

But we’ve now hit a turning point.

📈 Schools Are Using More Energy Than Ever

With the rise of digital classrooms, laptops, smart boards, air purifiers, heating and cooling systems, and device charging stations, energy use in schools is skyrocketing.

Rob Breuer, co-founder and CEO of Solar Schools, argues that solar panels and batteries should now be as standard as whiteboards and desks. Schools, he says, are perfectly positioned to become clean energy hubs — for their communities, for their students, and for the planet.

⚡ The Case for Solar + Storage in Every School

Breuer’s vision is simple but powerful:

• Install solar panels and battery storage at every school.

• Make schools an active part of Australia’s energy mix.

• Turn schools into energy-literate environments where students learn by doing.

And why not? Schools are:

• Occupied during the day when solar production is highest,

• Vastly under-utilised in energy education,

• Spending thousands each year on bills that could instead go to books, programs, and student support.

📚 Energy Literacy is the New Literacy

Energy is the invisible force behind everything we do — from heating our homes to running our future EVs. Yet most of us leave school with no idea how the grid works, how energy is generated, or what our own footprint is.

That’s why Bruer and his team are advocating for energy literacy to become core to the national curriculum.

Through Solar Schools’ tools, students learn:

• How much energy their school is using,

• What time of day they use the most power,

• How weather affects energy production,

• How to reduce usage and emissions.

It's hands-on, real-world, STEM-aligned education — and it’s working.

💡 A National Energy Strategy Starts in the Classroom

Australia has the chance to lead globally by embedding solar, storage, and smart energy monitoring into every school. Imagine:

• Community energy hubs powered by schools,

• Emergency backup during blackouts or disasters,

• A generation of young people equipped with practical climate knowledge.

As Breuer puts it: “Schools are the perfect place to start because they already exist in every community. They’re trusted. They’re central. And they’re ready.”

Want to Learn More?

👉 Check out the full episode here: Spotify – Solar Schools Podcast

🔍 And for great reporting on electrification in schools, see One Step Off the Grid

✊ Final Thought

We teach kids about the future every day — but now, we have a chance to build that future with them. Let’s make solar and energy education part of every school in Australia. Not just as an investment in infrastructure — but as an investment in young minds.