A significant milestone took place at the local Idas Valley Primary School in Stellenbosch on Monday, 29 April. The school, in collaboration with leading renewable energy solutions provider Wetility, unveiled its newly installed solar energy system.
This markets a transformative moment for the school, its pupils and the surrounding community and facilitated in collaboration with the Stellenbosch University-affiliated energy efficiency consultancy GreenX.
The inauguration event, aptly named Solar System Inauguration Day, commenced with a special assembly, bringing together learners and teachers to celebrate this momentous occasion. Engaging presentations, led by Wetility’s Chief of Staff Johanna Horz and Project Engineer Chris Momoh as well as GreenX’s CEO Dr. Jason Samuels, covered topics ranging from the fundamentals of solar energy to its benefits for the environment and community.
The presentations were followed by a Q&A session with Grade 7 learners. The presentation started with a surprise video by Springbok legend and Wetility Brand Ambassador, Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira. The Beast expressed his pride in Wetility’s work to provide solar energy to Idas Valley Primary School and making the school’s learners “solar energy champions”.
“I absolutely love the concept of empowering young students through an initiative that is driven by the core values of environmental responsibility, awareness and sustainability.
It’s a project that I fully support and I hope it will serve as an inspiration to others to make such meaningful contributions in the community.” He added: “It’s such a proud moment to be associated with Wetility’s incredible initiative at Idas Valley Primary School.
There is no doubt that the project will have massive benefits for the school and its pupils, and it perfectly demonstrates Wetility’s commitment to tangible innovation and outreach”.
Catering to the needs of its students and community, the partnership with Idas Valley Primary School and Wetility not only fosters environmental sustainability but also bolsters the school’s financial viability.
Through a subscription-based model, the school aims to substantially reduce operational costs, ensuring uninterrupted functioning even during times of load shedding and power outages. Mr. Anton Gordon, Principal of Idas Valley Primary School, highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating “The biggest impact for us will be that we are not going to lose any teaching time! We keep the lights on.
Another difficulty for us is when we cannot reach the parents because networks are down. That problem will be gone now.” The highlight of the day was the official showcasing the new solar system installed on the school premises to the teachers and learners and explaining its capacity, functionality and environmental impact. Principal Anton Gorden hopes: “Maybe it will also inspire some of our learners to go into university and to study solar energy.
” With this initiative, the Idas Valley Primary School, Wetility, and GreenX aim to inspire other schools across the country in their transition towards a greener and more sustainable future.
