Hopping into Green Energy
CHALLENGE
The kangaroos are happily grazing and homestead-like buildings are dotted around an expansive bush landscape, yet what appears to be a rural retreat is actually a centre of high learning employing the latest in sustainable energy technologies.
The Mamre Anglican School, a co-educational school from Kindergarten to Year 10, set in a unique rural part of Western Sydney on a 25-acre former dairy farm, was eager to adopt new green technologies. The School is one of few in New South Wales schools that can lay claim to hosting kangaroos on its playing fields, and can now also profess to be an early-adopter of a customised energy efficient solar power system.
As part of Mamre Anglican School's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and encouraging environmental educational outcomes for its students, the school approached Solgen Energy to develop an energy efficient solution.
SOLUTION
Mamre Anglican School was able to secure a $50,000 grant through the National Solar Schools Program (NSSP) and, on recommendation from another school, contacted Solgen Energy. Solgen Energy installed 30 solar panels to the north-facing side of the roof of the school's library building, over just one weekend, causing no disruption - even to the grazing kangaroos.
The school's library now also hosts a small, internal, wall-mounted monitoring device which relays the ‘live results' of real time energy generations statics and green data. This device is already providing science students with educational outcomes.
BENEFITS
Mamre Anglican School sought the Solgen Energy solar solution to improve the school's energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption and cut operating costs. In addition, the system is providing the school:
- educational outcomes for students though it's IT interface, recording real time energy generation statistics
- the annual generation of approximately 8 Megawatt hours of electricity - enough to power 4 to 5 classrooms
- the annual prevention of about 7.5 tonnes of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere
- a reduced carbon footprint and an awareness of renewable energy in the community
TESTIMONIAL
"The Solgen Energy team made the installation of the system very straight forward, it was carried out very quickly, the team were very responsive and they worked in well with our school IT department."
Victor Branson, Head of Campus, Mamre Anglican School
