According to the company, over 90 schools now have access to the portal after installing rooftop PV arrays.
SIM cards are installed in components of the solar plant such as inverters and meters which automatically send data to Lightsource’s online platform. Teachers are able to login to the system to show pupils how much clean energy is being generated by panels on their school.
The platform also provides a valuable function for Lightsource by logging weather and output data which can then be analysed to maximise the optimum performance of Lightsource-installed systems.
Nick Boyle, ceo of Lightsource, said: “We have invested a considerable amount of time and resources into developing our new asset management platform. Our school partners can now provide a tangible presence of their own solar plant generation in the classroom. Involving children in monitoring, analysing and interpreting the output of their panels and what that means in terms of measurable environmental impact, gives real meaning to the importance and value of renewable energy.
“The schools portal is a key element of a new teaching resource pack which Lightsource rolled out to participating schools in partnership with SolarAid at the end of 2012. The pack aims to educate pupils about all types of renewable energy, including solar, and what the implications for the planet could be if these types of power are not increasingly used to replace fossil fuels.
“Education on these crucial matters starts with our children – they are the next generation and the ones who will need to push forward the use of renewables. We hope that by enabling them to understand the positive impact their own rooftop PV panels are making, we will encourage them to put renewable energy generation high on the agenda for the future.”