For Killester College, the challenge with solar was not if they should get solar, but who they should choose to install the system.
For over 60 years, Killester College has been providing secondary education to the broad cultural and economic backgrounds of the Springvale and Dandenong area. The college has a long, proud history of instilling leadership and good citizenship to students through the motto of ‘Strength and Kindliness’¹. The results of this commitment are easily seen in the fact that 8 out of 10 of Killester graduates go on to study at University.
But with energy costs constantly rising, the school needed to take action. Rather than cut back on expenditure the college decided to invest in a solar PV system. Going solar would not only reduce electricity overheads by 21% but also reinforce the colleges commitment to sustainability.
This double win made getting solar a no brainer.
“With a view to decreasing our ever increasing electricity expenses the decision was made to install a 100kw solar system to take advantage of the rebates offered and reduce our consumption by an estimated 27%.
It was also extremely important to reduce our impact on the environment and then demonstrate and educate our school community on the benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions.” – Sandra Rotunno, Business Manager, Killester College.
After speaking to another school which also had an EnviroGroup solar PV system installed, Sandra approached EnviroGroup to design a system for Killester College.
Though we love a challenge, designing and installing the system turned out to be fairly straightforward. The college has ample roof space and construction took place during the summer holidays. With no classes to interrupt, the installation of the system was completed in just three weeks.
“EnviroGroup was selected based on their very competitive pricing, great references as well as experience and longevity in this industry. The installation, during the Christmas school holidays, was well planned and went without a hitch. All of the company’s representatives were professional and a pleasure to work with.” – Sandra Rotunno.
The 400 panel system will provide a 21% reduction in energy overheads for the school in the first year alone. Other benefits of the system include:
- Payback of 7 years.
- Minimal export to the grid (19%)
- 131,400 kWh generated per year.
- 161 tonnes of C02 offset per year
- 38 cars removed per year (eqv.)
Schools such as Killester College are perfect candidates for solar PV. Ample roof space, predictable energy consumption combined with rising costs and demands for sustainability make solar for schools a no brainer.
Contact us today and see how solar could help your school.
References:
¹ http://www.killester.vic.edu.au/
² http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/naplan-shows-killester-college-on-the-rise/news-story/221f8abfd734e9a24548bcd16d3e3616
