CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s Green School Scheme is delivering measurable reductions in electricity consumption while the State expands passive cooling solutions such as cool roofs and shaded classrooms to reduce heat stress among students, an impact study has found.
Designed to turn campuses into “living laboratories” for climate literacy, the programme is implemented by the Department of Environment and Climate Change under the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission.
An impact study submitted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) said the scheme is now being rolled out in 297 schools across multiple phases, supported by the UNEP Cool Coalition under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation funded BeCool Project. The study evaluated implementation in 97 schools under Phase 1 and Phase 2.
The scheme integrates rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, waste segregation and composting, along with green spaces such as kitchen, medicinal and fruit gardens.
While its core aim is climate learning and behavioural change, the programme is also delivering “tangible resource efficiency gains”, the study found.
A quantitative analysis of electricity bills from 49 schools showed an average 46% reduction in grid electricity use after rooftop solar installation, with monthly consumption dropping from 607.7 kWh to 328 kWh per school.
The average annual grid savings were estimated at 3,572 kWh, translating to about Rs 26,000 per school per year, in addition to roughly 1,350 kWh of solar generation valued at around Rs 4,700 annually.
At Government Higher Secondary School in TN Palayam, Erode, the study recorded that bimonthly electricity consumption fell from an average of 325 units before solar installation to about 60 units after, amounting to a 50–60% reduction.
However, the report noted that several schools continue to depend significantly on grid power due to high energy demands such as borewell operations and older electrical equipment, indicating the need for efficiency upgrades alongside solar adoption.
In a parallel push, the State has launched a “Cool Roof” initiative in select schools, reporting classroom temperature reductions of 3–4 degrees and ceiling surface temperature drops of 4–5 degrees in a Chennai pilot, according to an official press release.
Chief Minister MK Stalin said Tamil Nadu’s Green Schools programme aims to build “heat resistant educational environments” through passive cooling methods while advancing climate justice. Finance and Environment Minister Thangam Thennarasu said heat resilient measures could improve student wellbeing, focus and attendance, especially benefiting girls.
Balakrishna Pisupati, Country Head, UNEP India, said the initiative “enhances students’ ability to concentrate and learn by keeping classrooms safe”.
He said extreme heat, worsened by the climate crisis, “particularly impacts children”, and added that Tamil Nadu’s effort shows “simple, scalable solutions can significantly improve children’s daily lives and serve as a meaningful investment in the future”.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, said Tamil Nadu’s districts face varying heatwave risks, intensified by urbanisation and the Urban Heat Island Effect, with 13% moderately to highly vulnerable.
Under the initiative, “we are retrofitting schools with passive cooling solutions to protect students and strengthen resilience. The programme fosters environmental stewardship and ensures classrooms remain cool and healthy.”