Largest School Solar Installation Wins Clean Energy Council Award
Solgen Energy has won a major award from the Clean Energy Council and the Appropriate Technology Retailers Association of Australia (ATRAA) for its installation of the largest solar power system at any Australian school. ATRAA presented Solgen Energy with the "Design and Installation greater than 20kW Grid-connect Power System" prize at the industry awards night in Canberra, attended by 550 people, on Friday 31 July.
The Australian owned and operated solar solutions company, Solgen Energy, received the excellence award for the design and installation of a 25kW solar electric system at Redlands in the Sydney suburb of Cremorne. It is estimated the project will produce around 40,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually - the equivalent of planting 250 trees or removing 43 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.
Ms Sarah Jones of the Clean Energy Council said the judging panel had looked for compliance, innovation, strong communications and information provision, and excellence in standards of workmanship. The judges found that Solgen Energy's Redlands project demonstrated innovation in the manner in which the installation used two faces of the roof to maximize the solar yield. In addition it scored highly in terms of aesthetics and strong communications and information provision to the customer.
The judges included Clean Energy Council Standards, Training and Accreditation Committee members, Ian Dawson, Rod Menzies and Sandy Pulsford, who have a wealth of experience and knowledge in the installation of PV systems in Australia.
Mr David Naismith, Joint Director of Solgen Energy, said the company was proud to have installed the largest school solar electric system in the country, and it was an honour to receive industry recognition for the project. "This award is a credit to all our staff who pride themselves on providing high quality, innovative solutions and first-rate customer support."
Redlands School Principal, Dr Peter Lennox, said the solar power installation brought not only the immediate benefits associated with reducing energy costs and greenhouse gases, but also the opportunity to educate a new generation of climate change savvy leaders. "The solar power installation was commissioned as part of our ‘Greening Redlands' program which is driven through students, teachers and parents and has made a significant step towards environmental sustainability for the school community," Dr Lennox said.
Mr Naismith said a web-enabled monitoring device built into the system provided students with a valuable hands-on opportunity to learn more about how solar power works and the benefits of renewable energy for the wider community. "Our comprehensive monitoring equipment provides school staff with the ability to access real time energy generation statistics, store data and analyse the results. It also enables students to gauge the tangible effects of actions as simple as turning off lights," Mr Naismith said.
Dr Lennox said the comprehensive monitoring equipment was being incorporated into the school curriculum. "This will help students to increase their knowledge and understanding of solar energy. At Redlands students are taught about the importance of greening and conserving the environment through a rich and balanced education program," Dr Lennox said.
The photovoltaic system includes 146 high quality SCHOTT solar modules which are ideally suited to Australia's harsh climate and have been proven to outlast competitors in terms of durability and efficiency.
Mr Naismith said Solgen Energy was proud to be helping schools play an integral part in Australia's move to a low-carbon future by adopting solar technology to tackle climate change head on.
