August 10, 2026GisborneThirteen Gisborne schools are to be included in a government-funded $30 million solar panel project. The Solar on Schools project will provide panels to 500 schools nationwide over three years. In Tairāwhiti, Lytton and Gisborne Boys’ high schools will get a solar set-up with a recommended output of 30 kilowatt peak (kWp), while Ruatōria-based Ngata Memorial College will get 20kWp. Schools were selected based on energy efficiency, higher energy costs, resilience needs and upcoming gas or diesel boiler replacements, Kirkpatrick said. Gisborne Boys’ High and Ngata Memorial College had previously explored solar installation, but the cost of independent installation was too high.