Facilities & Operations Support

High priority recommendations on facilities & operations for Alberta school boards

Implementing an anti-idling policy on school grounds and committing to use low emission vehicles for school transportation

Installing solar panels, water bottle fountains, low-flush toilets, light timers, and other forms of sustainable and renewable energy transition, in all schools

Examples of the recommendations in action

Quebec's electrification of its school transportation

Australia's Solar my School program (comparable to Alberta's Solar for Schools program)

Lawrence Grassi - First Canadian Net Zero Certified School (pictured right)

Utah's Shadow Valley School - Green Ribbon Schools

Resources

Policy Resolution Template to make school boards 100% renewable by 2050
Primer - Greening School Infrastructure and Student Learning - we created this primer to help school boards explore opportunities and ideas for their own school board
Alberta Funding Guide outlines opportunities for climate adaptation and mitigation funding from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre
Green Energy Futures highlights a variety of green energy innovations relevant to classrooms, schools, and school districts.
The Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance offers a variety of relevant services, including a list of organizations who can provide energy audits for school boards.
Complete listing of high priority policy recommendations and examples in all four categories.

Financial support for green infrastructure

Solar for Schools Program is a program provided by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre that provides rebates to Alberta Public School Boards who install photovoltaic systems (PV) on their school. The Government of Alberta is investing $15 million into this program. Read the news release here.
Energy Performance Contracts are made possible through Alberta's Capital Borrowing Regulation under the school act (considered a 'best practice' nationally). They transfer the risk of borrowing for major energy efficiency retrofits from the school board to the contractor. Click here for more information by the Energy Services Association of Canada.
Fortis Alberta Community Grants offers several grant opportunities for schools to utilize, including those that create or enhance an environmental project or promote energy efficiency in schools,
The Clean Energy Improvement Program (more commonly known as PACE) is a way to finance energy efficiency upgrades or renewable energy projects through property taxes. Note: This program is still in the development stage.