Eco Project Initiative Piloting Brindhaven High School

LTM Energy has embarked on a corporate social responsibility Eco-Project called “Less is More”
starting of with Brindhavan High School as its first pilot. It has the endorsement of the school
management, the pupils, the parents governing body, local community, Government’s
department of Energy (DOE) and Eskom. LTME’s energy management framework integrate
efforts to reduce schools’ ecological footprints, make school environments healthier, and get
the whole community thinking about solutions to the problems we face.
It is within our reach to create schools that are healthy environments for students and staff;
schools that promote ecological sustainability, by using alternatives to toxic chemicals,
pursuing green building and maintenance practices, changing resource consumption
patterns, and teaching students to be thoughtful stewards of their communities, the earth
and its resources.

LTM Energy believes that this programme encourages all who interact with schools in their
personal and professional lives. Together with a partnership with Eskom, Department of Energy
(DOE) and external funders, we aim to develop a positive vision of individual schools,
countrywide educational efforts, and a nationwide school system that is healthy,
joyful, and sustainable.
Ultimately, sustainability is about being good global citizens: ensuring adequate resources for
a clean, healthy environment for all. Imagine if schools were leaders in environmental
sustainability, giving students the tools to be innovators, and giving them a healthy
environment in which to learn and play. This is the vision that LTM Energy would like to realize
through the assistance of key stakeholders for their Eco Project: “Less is More” following the
successful pilot in Brindhavan High School.
This school is situated in the suburb of Chatsworth, in Durban, South Africa. The school houses
about seven hundred learners primarily from the disadvantaged communities, and twentythree

educators. There are about sixty rooms in total that include classrooms, a library, a
multi-purpose room, toilets & staff offices. Currently the school is fitted with inefficient
lighting and in some instances the lights are not working, thus making conditions not conducive
for teaching and learning purposes. The school’s financial challenges often prevents
replacement of lighting or at times the cheapest inefficient lights are procured.
Moreover, the energy bill (water and electricity) is relatively high and is not managed properly.
There is no “green curriculum” that exists in the school and hence no focus on supporting
career paths for the green economy. This is indeed the future yet glaring absence is
seen at the development stage. This school provides a springboard for hope and realisation of
one’s dream especially in the green economy.

The school inflows are primarily from two sources viz: government budgets and school fees.
The former is inadequate to meet the school operational needs and the latter is problematic
due to non- payment which mainly stems from parents inability to pay. Adhoc revenue streams
such as various fund raising campaigns, Debutantes Ball, etc are employed to augment these funding needs.
Given these limited resources, it had become imperative for the school to optimally manage
their expenditure. However, with the recent announcement of onerous electricity price and
water hikes, this will just further exacerbate the schools financial position as electricity and
water costs account for a major portion of the schools spends.

The Leadership Team together with the Governing body have consented to the assistance of
LTM Energy to introduce energy efficient and renewable energy technologies to curtail the
operational costs, create conducive learning conditions and improve security. However such
changes must be effected through donor or Grant funding as the school is financially challenged
and were unable to fund any of the beneficial initiatives. As such LTM Energy stepped in and
sponsored the school together with the assistance of ex. students.