[Photo: Dr Amy Khor (in red), with SAJC principal Lee Bee Yann (in purple), viewing the solar panels installed on the roof of the school's cultural centre.]

By Amelia Tan

A $30,000 SPONSORSHIP from Finnish phone maker Nokia is powering up classrooms at St Andrew's Junior College (SAJC).

The school in Potong Pasir has installed solar panels which generate enough electricity to power two classrooms each day.

Located on the the roof of the school's cultural centre, the panels were unveiled yesterday by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor.

Dr Khor said that Nokia and SAJC's solar energy project takes Singapore further in realising its goal of switching to clean energy technologies.

The school will use the solar panels to show students the process of converting sunlight into electricity in Physics lessons.

Students will also be tracking which of the solar panels is able to produce more energy.

Extending its environmental reach, Nokia will plant a tree in Indonesia and donate US$2 (S$3.02) - to fund environmental causes chosen by SAJC - for every old mobile phone that the students collect and return to Nokia for recycling.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.