Sustainability

As part of Saltus' ongoing commitment to inspire students to lead a more just, fair and sustainable world, the school has significantly expanded its use of solar energy across both campuses over the past five years. In 2017,  solar panels were installed in the Secondary Department, marking the beginning of this initiative. 

In 2019, Saltus partnered with BE Solar to design and implement a custom solar solution for the Upper Primary School, installing 131 panels. Most recently, in the spring of 2023, BE Solar added 175 solar panels at the Cavendish Campus, further advancing the school's sustainability goals.

The solar projects were designed to maximise energy production and reliability and to help offset the daytime energy use at Saltus to provide a compelling financial return. Over the first 30 years of operation, the high-efficiency solar panels will offset the combustion of 5,729 barrels of oil from being consumed in Bermuda. The system will also stop 2,975 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. This is roughly equivalent to taking 646 passenger vehicles off the road for one year according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. 

By the year 2047, Saltus will have saved over $3.2 million in energy costs with the three solar panel installations. 

The last two solar panel installations were designed by Travis Burland ('99), Stuart Kriendler ('97) and Stratton Hatfield ('04) and developed by the BE Solar team to help Saltus reduce their operating costs and reliance on fossil fuels while helping the school to demonstrate bold sustainability leadership. 

The Upper Primary solar system was donated by the Stempel Family and the Stempel Foundation to Saltus Grammar School. Monitoring equipment was installed to track the solar production and energy consumption on both which can be used by teachers to educate students about the solar system.

 

Our Bento Boxes are a “BPA free” lunch container (which is portioned). These containers are a part of the 02GO ecological product line and include a reusable knife, fork and spoon. They are available for purchase from our School Shop.

Eco Visionaries is a student-founded club committed to promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship in Bermuda. The club’s primary initiative is a monthly beach cleanup in each parish, with support from Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB), who generously provide resources to make these efforts possible. Since 2022, the Eco Visionaries have removed over 2,500 pounds of trash and recycling during 18 cleanups. In addition to these cleanups, the club has raised funds for KBB by organising Earth Day celebrations. In 2024 they launched a microplastics collection programme across the school and propagated plants for classrooms as part of their ongoing efforts to foster a greener future. Eco Visionaries continues to organise various sustainability-focused events throughout the year, inspiring others to take action for the environment.

The Saltus Garden will have many purposes across our curriculum, including but not limited to: 

Saltus Island is a pleasant green island of 3.19 acres in Hamilton Harbour’s Soncy Bay.  The property was donated by Richard Aeschliman to the Bermuda National Trust in 1978. In 2002, Saltus Grammar School began the project for staff and students to introduce buttonwood, bay grape, palmetto, Bermudiana and Bermuda cedar and removing the invasives: Australian casuarinas, Mexican pepper, allspice, sage, sisal and oleander. The ultimate goal at Saltus Island is to recreate Bermuda’s natural habitat and 100%  eradicate non-endemic species.