Austrade media release 1 March 2010
An Australian innovation will help schools in Japan make the most of solar technology to reduce energy consumption.
SanEsu Denki Tsushin, based in Hokkaido, Japan, and Grassroots Marketing Alliance, based in Brisbane, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand delivery of the highly successful Solarschools.net in Japan.
Solarschools.net is a web based software solution that provides schools with solar systems the opportunity to understand their energy usage and take action to reduce it with real time energy data and analysis and education tools.
The collaboration by SanEsu and Solarschools.net will deliver a Japanese version of Solarschools.net to students in Japan. Schools in Japan have begun installing solar power systems with support from a Japanese Government subsidy scheme.
Dalia Mikhail, Director of Grassroots Marketing Alliance, said: “The inclusion of Japanese schools on solarschools.net will see web based collaborations on energy topics between solar school students in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and soon Mexico.
“It’s exciting seeing students and their communities in differing countries being involved in solar energy activities and reducing their carbon footprint. In the hands of these students our future certainly looks bright,” Ms Mikhail said.
The visit included representatives of the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of the Environment and SanEsu Denki Tsushin who travelled to Dutton Park State School in Brisbane, to witness the success of the Australian Government’s National Solar Schools Program.
The visit, facilitated by Austrade, was born from an Australian Clean Energy seminar held in Sapporo in July 2009 to promote Australia’s Clean Energy sector to leading local companies and Japanese government representatives.
Austrade’s Sapporo-based Trade Commissioner Chris Wood said the collaboration was evidence of Japan’s potential as a market for Australian innovation.
“Japan is well known as a leader in photovoltaic and other clean technologies, but today’s MOU also demonstrates Japan’s readiness to seek out innovative ideas or applications from around the world, highlighting the potential for Australian companies to win business or form collaborative ventures to commercialise technologies.”
The Australian Government’s National Solar Schools Program has been very popular with more than 5600 Australian schools registered to participate.
For more information visit http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/renewable/nationalsolarschools/ Chris Wood (Austrade) and Dalia Mikhail (Grass Roots Media) are available for interviews. ENDS Media contact David Varga, Senior Media Adviser, Ph: 02 9390 2191, Mobile: 0411 604 755
For further news and information from the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) visit www.austrade.gov.au/mediacentre. |