QAZAQ GREEN. Schools in Shymkent are piloting green technologies to cut electricity costs. Several educational institutions have adopted energy-saving solutions, Otyrar.kz reports.

One city gymnasium installed solar panels on its roof, generating up to 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity daily and significantly reducing the school’s energy bills.

The rooftop array at Gymnasium No. 65 produces up to 50 kWh per day—enough to power the building’s lighting and water heating systems. A year ago, the school’s monthly electricity bill was around 1.3 million tenge. After installing the panels, costs fell by nearly 20 percent, with no impact on student or teacher comfort.

“We’ve generated about 23,000 kilowatt-hours over seven and a half months, saving an estimated 1.7 million tenge. These are preliminary figures—the system doesn’t yet track how much power comes from the grid versus the panels. If the savings hold, we can reinvest those funds into other school needs, including equipment upgrades,” said Almas Kaiypov, principal of Gymnasium No. 65.

Staff are closely monitoring panel output during fall and winter, when sunlight is scarce. Beyond cost savings, the technology serves as a teaching tool, raising students’ environmental awareness. Other green initiatives are underway across the city.

“Through the Green Club project, students research energy efficiency, waste sorting, and urban greening,” said Akmaral Nazhmidin, acting head of the Ecology, Local History and Tourism Center under the Shymkent Education Department.

Students are also developing their own innovations. Twelfth-grader Bisultan Bekkulov designed a solar-powered urban advertising system using AI.

“The AI tracks sunlight and rotates the banner for maximum solar exposure, making energy use as efficient as possible,” Bekkulov said.

Officials are evaluating the pilot projects. If the cost-benefit analysis proves favorable, the solutions may be expanded to other schools across the city.

https://qazaqgreen.com/en/news/kazakhstan/3367/