Solar panels are on the roofs of 45 Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) schools, and more are to come.
With sustainability being one of the priorities, Greig Charlesworth, energy coordinator with the UGDSB says the expansion of solar energy, as well as the implementation of advanced energy-efficient technologies, are part of continuous efforts to enhance operational efficiency.
“When you look at a school, you wouldn’t necessarily know it has solar panels because you can’t see them from the ground,” Charlesworth said.
“This has actually been a practice for the Upper Grand for four years now.”
Every five years the school board is required to develop and post a plan that outlines its strategies for improving energy efficiency and reducing consumption.
“We put together an Energy Conservation Demand Management Plan. The last one we did was published in June of 2024,” Charlesworth said.
The plan is available online and includes yearly consumption, achievements so far, and what the UGDSB strives and plans for in the future.
“As part of this plan, we are looking to electrify our sources of heat with heat pump technology and solar generation will offset some of that increased electricity demand,” Charlesworth said.
“And we are actually in the final stages of installing a 100 kilowatt system at Taylor Evans Public School, which is in addition to the 12 kilowatt system already there.”
The school board also seeks opportunities to upgrade HVAC systems with more efficient technologies such as heat pumps which can ultimately, help to reduce a building’s carbon footprint.
The UGDSB says it will continue to invest in renewable energy projects, such as solar panels, to reduce the board’s draw on the electricity grid.
“We are doing this on existing schools, but we also try to include solar when building new schools,” Charlesworth said.
For example, Charlesworth says solar power is part of the project for the new Guelph High School at 388 Arkell Rd., set to open in September 2026.
“And we also have a sustainability advisory committee that meets throughout the year. It advises the board on actions and goals under the umbrella of sustainability,” he said.
“At our last meeting, we actually had three high school students attend from various schools across the board and they provided valuable insight as to how they think we could be more sustainable. That was amazing.”
Charlesworth says solar power data is available to schools so they can dial in, have a look and build educational initiatives.
“One of the main goals of the UGDSB is to lead through sustainability,” he said.
“This involves encouraging staff and students in our schools to lead sustainability initiatives.”
