Half Term Work Begins on Two West Sussex Schools

Pupils returning to Oathall Community College between Lindfield and Haywards Heath and Holbrook Primary School in Horsham after their half-term holiday will have a surprise in store next week. The two schools timed their Solar PV installations to match the holiday week at the end of February to ensure minimal disruption to classes. Pupils will be returning to find their schools powered by the Sun, with monitoring systems and displays in place so they can see how much energy is being produced.

By harnessing the power of the Sun, the two West Sussex schools will reduce their carbon footprint by around 36,000 tonnes CO2 per year combined.

Timed to perfection, Southern Solar’s Project Managers are running installations simultaneously on both schools, connecting 50kWp at Oathall Community College and 30kWp at Holbrook Primary. The Solar energy generated will replace expensive grid bought electricity for term time usage at both schools. The schools will export the excess electricity they produce to the grid. At weekends and in holidays the schools will be working as local mini power stations feeding directly into the local grid in West Sussex.

Holbrook Primary school already has Green Flag status via the Eco Schools programme, awarded for commitments to recycling, energy saving, water conservation and outdoor wildlife projects. The addition of Solar PV panels to the school buildings is another sign of the schools dedication to teaching pupils about renewable energy generation, energy efficiency and protecting the environment.

Southern Solar are delighted to support local renewable energy initiatives, based in Sussex, the company are part of the local community with their Head Office based near Lewes. The team regularly gives talks for local green groups, businesses and commercial trade bodies, even assemblies in schools.

“Schools and public buildings use a huge amount of energy, and solar energy systems are perfect for reducing dependence on increasingly expensive fossil fuels. The added benefit of putting solar on your public buildings is the instant carbon footprint reductions and the very visible community element to local energy generation — a winner all round.” Howard Johns Managing Director of Southern Solar Ltd