Enerġija rinnovabbli minn fuq il-bjut tal-iskejjel
Erba’ skejjel madwar il-pajjiż se jkollhom pannelli tax-xemx installati fl-ewwel minn sensiela ta’ proġetti li l-Climate Action Authority qed taħdem fuqhom flimkien ma’ diversi entitajiet pubbliċi bl-għan li jiżdiedu l-proġetti ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli fuq proprjetajiet pubbliċi.
Fl-aħħar snin skejjel ġodda raw l-installazzjoni ta’ pannelli tax-xemx, bl-iskola tal-Imsida tkun l-ewwel skola carbon neutral, dan il-proġett ifisser fażi oħra fejn se jkunu implimentati proġetti fuq skejjel eżistenti li wkoll jikkontribwixxu fl-azzjoni dwar it-tibdil fil-klima.
Il-Ministru għall-Ambjent u l-Enerġija Miriam Dalli tkellmet dwar kif dan il-proġett huwa ieħor f’sensiela ta’ proġetti konkreti ta’ azzjoni dwar il-klima. “Meta waqqafna l-Climate Action Authority ridna mhux biss awtorità li tirregola, iżda ridna wkoll awtorità proattiva li tmexxi ‘l quddiem proġetti li jagħmlu d-differenza. Dan hu eżempju pożittiv ta’ kollaborazzjoni bejn entitajiet differenti li minnhom se jkollna ħafna aktar.”
Il-Ministru Dalli enfasizzat ukoll is-sabiħ li dan il-proġett qed isir fl-iskejjel. “Huma fost l-iktar sensittivi dwar l-ambjent u huwa ta’ sodisfazzjon għalihom ukoll li fl-iskejjel tagħhom qed isiru dawn il-proġetti. B’hekk jifhmu kif dak li qed nitkellmu dwaru u dak li jixtiequ, jista’ jsir b’mod tanġibbli. M’hemmx dubju li hekk nkomplu nnisslu fihom aktar kuraġġ biex huma wkoll jieħdu azzjoni fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum,” qalet il-Ministru Dalli, filwaqt li fakkret ukoll kif ix-xogħol tajjeb li qed tagħmel Malta fis-settur tal-klima kien irrikonoxxut ukoll f’analiżi indipendenti mill-Uffiċċju tal-Awditur Ġenerali u l-qafas tal-Climate Scanner.
Il-Ministru għall-Edukazzjoni, l-Isport, iż-Żgħażagħ, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni Clifton Grima saħaq li, “Bħala Gvern impenjati li nagħmlu l-iskejjel tagħna mudell ħaj ta’ sostenibbiltà. Proġetti bħal dan ma jsaħħux biss l-infrastruttura tal-iskejjel, iżda joffru wkoll opportunità edukattiva reali lit-tfal tagħna biex jifhmu, jaraw u jgħixu l-valuri tal-enerġija nadifa. Din il-kollaborazzjoni hija pass ieħor biex nibnu skejjel aktar moderni, effiċjenti u sostenibbli, u se nkomplu naħdmu biex dan l-approċċ jinfirex fuq aktar skejjel madwar il-pajjiż.”
L-ewwel erba’ skejjel f’dan il-proġett huma l-iskola primarja tal-Għargħur, il-Kulleġġ San Benedittu f’Ħal Kirkop, Primarja Santa Klara ta’ San Ġwann u l-iskola primarja tal-Kulleġġ San Nikola fil-Wardija. Is-sistemi fotovoltajċi f’dawn l-iskejjel se joffru kapaċità totali ta’ 228 kWp, biżżejjed biex jagħtu enerġija lil madwar 83 dar fis-sena. Dan il-proġett se jikkontribwixxi għal tnaqqis ta’ madwar 139 tunnellata metrika ta’ emissjonijiet ta’ CO2 fis-sena.
L-Inġ. Abigail Cutajar, Kap Eżekuttiv tal-Climate Action Authority, spjegat kif wara ftit tax-xhur ilu ġie ffirmat Memorandum of Understanding mal-Ministeru għall-Edukazzjoni, telqet mill-ewwel il-ħidma fuq dan il-proġett. “Dan hu proġett importanti għal din l-awtorità li ilha teżisti biss ftit iktar minn sena. Fuq il-mudell tiegħu se nkunu qed inwettqu proġetti oħrajn. Meta ħtarna l-Climate Coordinators f’kull Ministeru dan sar biex inkunu effettivi f’ħidmitna u fil-fatt din mhux l-ewwel kollaborazzjoni. Konna parteċipi fi skema ta’ vouchers biex familji vulnerabbli jieħdu carbon filters tal-ilma b’xejn u ma’ Transport Malta u l-Università ta’ Malta kkoperajna wkoll fuq proġetti ta’ solar car ports fejn l-istudenti ddisinjaw l-ideat tagħhom li issa rridu nippjanaw kif se nagħtuhom il-ħajja. Dan hu l-istil li qbadna u se nibqgħu naħdmu bih,” qalet l-Inġ Cutajar.
Renewable energy from school rooftops
Four schools around the country will have solar panels installed, in the first of a series of projects that the Climate Action Authority is working on together with various public entities, with the aim of increasing renewable energy projects on public properties.
In recent years, new schools have seen the installation of solar panels, with the Msida school becoming the first carbon-neutral school. This project represents another phase, in which projects will be implemented in existing schools that also contribute to climate-change action.
Minister for Environment and Energy Miriam Dalli spoke about how this project is another in a series of concrete climate-action initiatives. “When we established the Climate Action Authority, we wanted not only a regulatory authority, but also a proactive authority that pushes forward projects that make a difference. This is a positive example of collaboration between different entities, from which we will see many more.”
Minister Dalli also emphasised how significant it is that this project is being implemented in schools. “They are among the most environmentally aware, and it is satisfying for them to see that these projects are being carried out in their schools. This helps them understand how what we speak about and what they aspire to can become tangible. There is no doubt that in this way we continue to instil more courage in them so that they also take action in their daily lives,” said Minister Dalli, while noting that the good work Malta is doing in the climate sector was also recognised in an independent analysis by the National Audit Office and the Climate Scanner framework.
Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima, emphasised that, “as a ministry we are committed to making our schools a living model of sustainability. Projects like this not only strengthen the infrastructure of our schools but also offer a real educational opportunity for our children to understand, see and live the values of clean energy. This collaboration is another step toward building more modern, efficient and sustainable schools, and we will continue working to ensure that this approach is expanded to more schools across the country.”
The first four schools in this project are the Għargħur Primary School, St Benedict College in Kirkop, St Clare Primary School in San Ġwann, and St Nicholas College Wardija Primary. The photovoltaic systems in these schools will provide a total capacity of 228 kWp, enough to supply energy to around 83 households per year. This project will contribute to a reduction of around 139 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
Inġ Abigail Cutajar Chief Executive of the Climate Action Authority, explained that following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry for Education a few months ago, work on the project started immediately. “This is an important project for an authority that has existed for just over a year. Based on its model, we will implement other projects. When we appointed Climate Coordinators in every ministry, this was to make our work more effective — and indeed, this is not our first collaboration. We participated in a voucher scheme providing vulnerable families with free water carbon filters, and with Transport Malta and the University of Malta we collaborated on solar car-port projects where students designed the ideas, which we now need to plan how to bring to life. This is the approach we have adopted and will continue working with,” said Inġ Cutajar.