Te Puke High School's roof an ideal spot for solar panels

Members of Te Puke High School's Enviro Committee, from left, Megan Cross, Ciara Sunnex, Patricia Pislor, Ella Kasper, Ekkjot Mallhi and Jasrose Mallhi with former teacher Joe Anderson.

A student-led initiative has seen Te Puke High School harness the power of the sun.

Solar panels have been installed on a section of roof on one block at the school. Their installation was the latest - and biggest - initiative of the Enviro Committee that was reformed last year.

While he no longer teaches at the school, former maths teacher Joe Anderson helped re-establish the committee and offered guidance to the committee.

''Trident High School in Whakatāne have been running a programme for some years to reduce their carbon footprint with the ultimate dream being to go off the grid for power, water waste and sewerage,'' says Joe.

''Last year in my last year of teaching at Te Puke High School I set up a group of students calling themselves the Enviro Committee, with the aim do doing something to fight climate change.''

Among the committee's initiative that have been adopted by the school have been shutting down unnecessary hot water, computers and other power users during the holidays. There has also been a trial aimed at improving recycling and the use of reusable drink cups and bottles is also being investigated.

''By the end of the year we had obtained funding from TECT, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the school's board of trustees to insert some hot water timing switches, plant some more shade trees and install some solar panels,'' says Joe.

''The timing switches and solar panels are in place but we're still on the lookout for somebody to donate a mature tree or two. Our funding and volunteer student labour will take care of the transplanting. ''

The solar panel feeds a 6.2kw system which will generate enough power to run two average households in Te Puke.

''It's a small step for a school with an annual power bill of $90,000, but if we use this to run a heat pump, it also reduces the demand on our gas fired heating system, so less carbon in the air. There's plenty of room on our ample roof space for more, and I'm applying for more funding.''

The committee is now led by Year 12 student Ciara Sunnex and food tech teacher Michelle Jamieson.

Ciara says the committee is happy to look at and suggest a range of initiative that could make the school more sustainable.

''It's not that the school is bad environmentally, but there is always room to be a more sustainable and more environmentally friendly school and for us to be more mindful of waste and what is going on [in the school] here because all actions have consequences.''