Nathaniel Atherton, Primary Principal
18 October 2024
Over the Autumn break, our Primary School building welcomed an exciting new addition: solar panels! Thanks to a generous donation from our Parents’ Association, more than 60 solar panels have been installed on the roof above the third floor. This initiative, made possible by the Parents’ Association’s successful charitable ball last spring — a vibrant celebration of Brazilian culture at Lakeside along Lake Zurich — raised over CHF 65'000 through community donations and auction items. The night was a true reflection of the strong community spirit that supports our school’s vision for a more sustainable future.
The newly installed solar panels will generate approximately 29’000 kWh of energy each year. To put that in perspective, this is enough energy to power seven average Swiss households for an entire year. These panels are expected to significantly reduce our energy consumption, supporting our broader commitment to environmental sustainability.
The initial inquiry, led by ICS 2023 graduate Alex McNaughton as part of his Personal Project, identified that in 2021, ICS’s total energy consumption was 591'775 kWh, with the primary and main buildings alone consuming 350'459 kWh. With the solar panels now in place, along with the school’s switch to LED lights in classrooms over the past three years, we’ve seen a 22% reduction in energy consumption in both the Primary and Main Buildings. This initiative is helping us move towards a more sustainable energy model. Not only will the project reduce our environmental impact, but it will also provide a valuable learning opportunity for students, who will be able to monitor the panels' energy output in real-time via an interactive display.
The system became operational on 16 October 2024, and while the monitoring device to track real-time data is still pending, we are excited to soon integrate this sustainable energy solution into our daily operations and classroom learning.
We extend our deepest thanks to the Parents’ Association for their dedication, to Alex and the Environmental Action team for their vision, and to our Operations Team for their hard work in organising the installation of the solar panels and leading the switch to LED lighting. Together, we are powering a greener future for ICS.
Enjoy the installation of the solar panels by checking out the video here.
Kind regards,
Nathaniel Atherton
Primary Principal