A story that features a local school’s journey to solar power is the topic of an inspiring new film produced by BBC StoryWorks to launch the Future Generation climate campaign.
This campaign was conceptualised by local company Sun Exchange to showcase how people, communities and small businesses around the globe are changing the way energy is being shared and distributed.
In 2019, Protea Heights Academy (PHA), a Stem-focused school in Brackenfell, became the first Western Cape education department school to go solar with Sun Exchange, when 7 344 solar cells were sold to 119 Sun Exchange members from around the world in a record-breaking seven hours.
The film depicts the story of four individuals who took part in the solar powering project at PHA.
The community-powered platform enables people to earn from solar powering markets.
“On this platform anyone, anywhere can buy a solar cell from about R60 each and automatically lease them to power businesses and other organisations in Southern Africa. Solar cell owners earn income from the clean energy that’s generated for 20 years and the organisations they power gain access to simple, affordable clean energy,” explains Sun Exchange chief platform officer Kath Sharfman to TygerBurger.
Sun Exchange provides an option for schools and other organisations to go solar with no installation or upfront costs.
“Energy consumers pay only a low monthly bill for the clean electricity that’s generated, at a rate lower than Eskom’s. In this way, our solar projects enable schools and organisations to easily reduce energy costs and their climate footprint. We also offer storage-enabled solar solutions that provide added energy security and reliability benefits by protecting against loadshedding,” she says.
Today, Sun Exchange has facilitated solar power for 50 organisations across South Africa, including 23 schools.
Wendy Horn, director of the Metro North Education District, and former PHA principal, who founded the school with a definitive focus on innovation, was the original champion of the school’s transition to solar power.
“The Future Generations film depicts how climate-conscious young people can drive and benefit from technology solutions such as Sun Exchange through the opportunity to earn solar-powered income, model climate leadership and, most importantly, create a more sustainable future. In this way, the film powerfully and clearly conveys Future Generations as the driving force for Sun Exchange and its global community. Since 2016, we have installed almost two million solar cells, generated 9 GWh of clean energy, reducing nearly 10 metric tonnes of CO² and growing,” says Sharfman.
In the film PHA learner Sitabile Mngati, who endorses this alternative method of accessing energy, champions the benefits it has had on her school and the environment.
Also featured are UK-based Malcolm James and his teenage daughter Florence James, advocates for the global transition to clean energy who, via the Sun Exchange platform, own and earn from solar cells in PHA and other solar projects.
The film was released as part of the World Energy Council’s global #HumanisingEnergy initiative.
To learn more, see Facebook @TheSunExchange film produced by @BBCStoryWorks, part of the @WECouncil #HumanisingEnergy series or visit www.bbc.com/storyworks/humanising-energy.
