The Indian Academy, Dubai recently partnered with CleanMax Solar, a rooftop solar developer,  to install a 192 kW rooftop solar project in the school.

The project is expected to generate 307,000 kWh of electricity per year and will help to cover 70% of the school’s electricity requirement, states the company’s press release.

The amount of clean electricity generated by the project is likely to help abate 135 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

According to the press statement, “On days when the solar power project produces more electricity than the school can use, the school can supply the excess electricity back to DEWA’s grid which can then be used as credits against the school’s future electricity bills.” DEWA’s (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) rooftop solar net-metering policy is called Shams Dubai.

Schools and educational institutes across the globe are warming up to the idea of utilizing the sun for their energy requirements. In India as well, an increasing number of schools and educational institutes have installed solar systems for sustainability. Mercom earlier published an article that analyzed how solar – not coal – is beginning to power classrooms, dormitories and canteens of multitudes of educational institutions across the country. Solar power is heating water, helping run laboratories, shining auditoriums, cooling down canteens, assisting in administrative work and illuminating streetlights on school grounds. Due to surging electricity bills and the desire to protect the environment, a large number of educational institutions are turning to solar to meet their daily energy needs.

Recently, schools like St Xavier’s in Mumbai and Sainik School in Rajasthan have turned to solar power to fuel their energy needs economically.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based research body, recently launched an initiative called ‘Solar in Schools,’ in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

Image credit: CleanMax Solar

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.