Salt River Secondary receives a solar system, thanks to Project 90 and SOLA

On 7 December, SOLA Future Energy was privileged to build a solar PV system for Salt River Secondary School in Cape Town. This was a culmination of SOLA’s involvement in the “Playing with Solar” project organised by Project 90 by 2030.

The 3.96kWp solar system will save the school around R 8 200.00 on its annual electricity bill. It will also help the school cut back 5 tons on its yearly carbon emissions. The school was awarded a Wessa Eco-Schools flag in 2017.

The project and donation came after two months of collaboration between organisation SOLA Future Energy and the YouLead Warriors – youth taking part in Project 90’s climate-focused youth leadership initiative.

The YouLead Warriors were given practical training on the mechanics and benefits of solar power at workshops held earlier in the year. This consisted of two 4-hour workshops at SOLA’s offices, detailing the basics of solar system design and media strategy and communications. The youth also visited two of SOLA’s sites – the iconic Robben Islalnd Microgrid, and Kenilworth Centre’s solar system.

Dom Wills, CEO of SOLA Future Energy, says that it was a privilege to work with these future leaders. “Through this project, we have been able to teach learners that providing a reliable, cheap and clean form of energy is something that can benefit communities and create jobs.”

The ‘Playing with Solar’ initiative was made possible by generous funding from the HCI Foundation.  The installation was made possible through donations from Ingeteam and Lumax Energy, who sponsored the solar inverter and mounting gear respectively.

Acting school principal, Fairuz Patel, thanked everyone who worked on the project, saying that the money they are saving “can make a massive difference in the kind of education we can offer our learners, while also making a real and tangible difference to the environment”.