Photo: Herald Sun

The Andrews Labor Government program supports schools to introduce cost saving measures such as solar energy systems and lighting upgrades, and helps them be more efficient by running energy audits.

This will help schools reduce costs and their carbon footprint. Participating schools are required to pay back the cost for the upgrades over a period of five years based on the savings achieved by the school each year – after which each school will keep 50 per cent of the savings generated.

The Victorian School Building Authority will work with schools to install improvements this year, with schools paying back the cost of investment from 2019 onwards.

This program is part of a $2.8 billion investment by the Labor Government to improve classrooms, upgrade facilities and build new schools across the state.

This school building boom has delivered more than 1,200 school upgrades and 64 new school projects across the state, supporting more than 5,000 construction jobs for Victorians.

The Labor Government is reducing its impact on the environment by including environmental sustainability principals into the design, construction and refurbishment of all government schools.

It is estimated that the whole of government Greener Government Buildings Program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25,000 tonnes each year.