By Alexander MacNaughton, ICS Graduate 2023

In early September 2022, fresh into my final year at ICS, I decided to get involved with a student-led organisation centred around a topic I am passionate about. The Environmental Action Team was created to give students like me the opportunity to voice their opinion and seek to make a positive difference in reducing the school’s carbon footprint. With both efficiency and practicality in mind, we decided as a team to split into various groups focusing on material waste, food and energy. Matteo Reggio and I teamed up to see how we could bring a new approach towards both energy sourcing and consumption at ICS. Admittedly the task seemed daunting at first, but we were really excited by the prospect that we could kick start something that could leave a long lasting impact on our school.

Our process began with several brainstorming sessions where we initially focused purely on ways in which energy consumption at ICS could be reduced. This included ideas like advocating for more sustainability-conscious behaviour (e.g. lights off, taps off, don’t have windows open and heating on). We then began to think bigger, considering ways in which we could make improvements at source, as opposed to relying on others to act later. This pointed us towards learning about an innovative new heating control system that was recently installed at ICS. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CO2 metres were used in classrooms. Head of Facilities and Operations, Mr Andy Osborne, explained to us how he and his team found a way to link the CO2 metres to the heating. This meant the radiators could detect whether there were any people in the classrooms by reading the CO2 levels; if the room was empty, the heating would be turned off, saving energy. After hearing about the successful implementation of this project, Matteo and I knew we could use the help and expertise of Mr Osborne and his team to look to something new. 

Inspired by the increase of solar panel use we had noticed around Switzerland, Matteo and I brought this idea to the table. The enthusiasm was high, but we knew we had to have everything logistically sorted for this to be a feasible project. We were having to consider aspects like cost, space needed, the location, the energy efficiency, the right company to contact, and a realistic time frame. After a few further meetings with Mr Osborne, we had made a great start, as he provided us with information about location and space, whilst we looked into who to contact as well as working out the efficiency of the panels. 

Unfortunately by this time Matteo and I had our final year IB exams to study for and sit, meaning we weren’t in school and our attention was of course devoted elsewhere. We knew however that we had laid a great foundation for future students to take up, and we were excited to think that we could get even more members of the community involved in this forward-thinking project. Since Matteo and I left ICS in May 2023, the team have now confirmed that the installation of the panels will take place in October this year. They will be placed on the third floor of the Primary Building, occupying a gross area of 189 sqm (9m x 21m). There will be 13 strips of panels inclined with a south orientation, totalling 63 panels and 1 inverter. Given that each panel is projected to produce approximately 412 kWh, the whole area should produce approximately 26,000 kWh. The project has been entirely sponsored by the Parents’ Association (PA), which held a fundraising event (the Brazilian Party-Lake Side) to gather the necessary funds.

I graduated from ICS in May of 2023, and wasn’t entirely sure where the project we started would lead as we headed our separate ways. I am thrilled to know that there has been a concrete outcome, and that our work in getting things up and running was picked up by others to finish. To some, the difference may seem minimal, but I’d like this to be an inspiration to any students who care about something but don’t perhaps have the courage to voice their ideas, or simply don’t know how to go about it. ICS gives opportunities to all, so if there is something you care about and you want to incite change, do it! You never know where things might lead.