An appeal has gone out to the government to harness solar power using school buildings.

Laxey and Andreas primary schools are due to be re-roofed this summer. It’s the perfect opportunity to replace slates with solar panels, according to a local firm that promotes clean energy technologies.

Steven Elkin, a director of Go Green: Isle of Man, says a lack of provision for renewables represents a ’glaring omission’.

He said: ’Two years ago, the government declared a climate emergency but there seems to be a disconnect in policy. It’s really important that young people see this (renewable energy) as the norm, and where are they every day? They’re going into school. They need to see it on the building.

’The sad thing is, because people’s minds are changing about renewable energy, in ten years’ time the government will be taking the roof off Laxey and installing solar.’

Mr Elkin said tenders were being sought to reroof various schools around the island.

’The glaring omission is that there is no provision whatsoever for renewables, no solar. It’s a bad decision environmentally and it’s a bad decision financially. The government needs to make the right decision. I can’t think of a single reason why we would not do this.’

He said he had approached the government on numerous occasions, not to try to gain business but to drive a change in policy.

’It’s the norm in other parts of the world,’ he said.

’The cynical person might say I’m doing this to get the work but that’s not true. We spend more of our time on education than we do on installation. The government needs to get the policy in place then put the work out to tender.’

He says a school roof clad in solar panels could generate 19 million watt hours of electricity a year and would pay for itself within seven years.

Mr Elkin said: ’Apart from a small token array on QEII school, done half a decade ago, the Isle of Man has nothing.’

The leader of the Isle of Man Green Party, Andrew Langan-Newton, said every roof space on the island should be considered an asset for renewable energy.

’The idea that we would not look at public sector roof spaces, such as schools, just does not accord with what Howard Quayle has said in Tynwald when the climate emergency was declared. We need action today and we need to see leadership on these issues,’ he said.