GOLD COAST—A $60 million plan to have all Queensland schools partly powered by solar energy by 2011 has been unveiled by Premier Anna Bligh.
Ms Bligh told a Labor state conference on the Gold Coast today it would be the first time such an initiative had been launched in Australia.
The program will begin next month and start with 10 schools of varying sizes, with the remaining 1,241 schools to be fitted out over the next three years.
Ms Bligh said all schools would have solar panels installed on their roofs, while energy efficient bulbs, power circuit timers and "smart meters" to monitor energy use would also be introduced.
"Each solar panel will reduce a school's electricity bill by around $800 each year," she told Labor delegates.
"(It) will reduce energy consumption across all state schools by a total of 13 per cent."
Ms Bligh said the $60 million outlay would be recovered in the long-term savings the solar panels and other measures, generate.
"As well as growing the solar industry, this initiative offers a great opportunity for our young people to learn about this transforming technology and what they, and their school communities, can do to help combat climate change," she said.
Ms Bligh said the Government would look to implementing similar initiatives in other sectors, such as state hospitals, galleries and stadiums.