Pupils at Ōhope Beach School can now track their solar energy to see if their town's sunny reputation stacks up.
Ōhope Beach School joined the Genesis School-gen solar programme following the installation of a 10-kilowatt solar panel system in August.
To monitor the power generated by the solar panels, Genesis provided a Watt Watcher device.
Principal Tony Horsfall said he was eager to join the School-gen programme as his students had a keen interest in how energy was produced and used.
"Using the Watt Watcher, pupils can now see in real time how much solar energy is being generated from their panels, what the ultra-violet and weather readings are like, and what time the sun will rise and set,"