Two West Sussex schools go Solar over the half-term holidays

Pupils returning after their half-term holiday to Oathall Community College in Lindfield and Holbrook Primary School in Horsham had a surprise in store this week. The two schools timed their Solar PV installations by Southern Solar Ltd to match the holiday week at the end of February to ensure minimal disruption to classes. Pupils are returning to find their schools powered by the Sun, with website monitoring systems so they can analyse how much energy is produced at the click of a button.

“We are committed to helping schools reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions”, Nicola Winser, Carbon Management Officer for West Sussex County Council. “By providing advice and support to schools, we help them identify the best energy efficiency or renewable technology for their individual site. We also able to offer them an interest-free loan to cover the cost of the project which is paid back using the energy savings and any financial income generated from the technology for the duration of the payback period."

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 ran slick and efficient 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. 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.

Julia Karwat, year 8 student at Oathall said, “We think that it is really great that the school is being so environmentally aware and putting in solar panels. It’s brilliant that we will be generating our own electricity and saving money on bills. This means the school will have more money to spend on other school improvements.”

This feeling is endorsed by Jo Godbolt, Business Manager at Oathall Community College. “I’m really thrilled with how this solar panel installation project has gone. Once we made the decision to proceed the whole project was implemented swiftly and professionally by Southern Solar. It’s fantastic to see the meter ticking away knowing that we’re generating our own electricity and reducing our utility bills! The installation is very visual and is now a real presence in the school. This means we can use it to encourage our students to think about the environment and climate change. We can really show now that we’re doing our bit to be green!”

Oathall Community College is known for its sustainable approach to education, encouraging land based skills in addition to the standard school curriculum.

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.

Deborah Moss of Holbrook Primary is also delighted with the outcome of the project. She reported that for a couple of years the school had been considering the move across to solar panels. With the support of governors, on the premises committee, WSCC and through the engagement of the pupils on the eco council, the project has come to fruition. Not only will the school be saving on electricity bills, but we plan to use the system as a teaching resource with KS2 pupils. If other schools are thinking of a similar scheme, they can be assured a high quality service from Southern Solar.

Southern Solar are eager 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., March 2013.

Project facts Oathall Community College

49.6kWp system installed on Oathall Community College;

West Sussex Predicted to produce in excess of 41259 kwh of electricity per year;

CO2 savings (Kg/year): 14234;

129 x 255Wp modules covering an area of 210m² and 88 x 190Wp modules covering an area of 115m²;

The school is a high energy user so maximises the financial benefits of producing their own electricity by utilising most of it on site during term time. During the school holidays they can export the energy they produce back to the grid.

Project facts Holbrook Primary School

29.835kWp system installed on Holbrook Primary School;

West Sussex Predicted to produce in excess of 25752 kwh of electricity per year;

CO2 savings (Kg/year): 13,623;

117 x 255Wp panels covering an area of 191m²;

The school is a high energy user so maximises the financial benefits of producing their own electricity by utilising most of it on site during term time. During the school holidays they can export the energy they produce back to the grid.