Cariboo Chilcotin switches secondary school to a solar voltaic system

Making a clean change School District 27 – Cariboo Chilcotin switches secondary school to a solar voltaic system

Rede Energy, School District #27’s energy management consultant team, suggested exploring a solar voltaic system for the school to reduce the energy cost and the school’s carbon footprint.

Naghtaneqed Elementary Junior Secondary School is in Nemiah Valley, approximately three hours southwest of Williams Lake. The 1,043-square-metre school enrolls about 20 students predominantly of Chilcotin First Nations ancestry from Kindergarten to Grade 10. Chilcotin language is taught as the second language credit and there is a strong focus on integrating cultural teachings and activities throughout the curriculum.

Diesel electric generators have been the sole source of electrical energy to the school for 45 years; a relatively dependable source of energy, but also one that brings noise and pollution to the school yard, and high operating expense to the school district.

Rede Energy, School District #27’s energy management consultant team, suggested exploring a solar vol-

In July of 2019, the school district invested in a hybrid energy system that integrated solar energy production, advanced energy storage, and an expandable inverter platform. taic system for the school to reduce the energy cost and the school’s carbon footprint. In January 2018, the school district hired Hakai Energy Solutions to do a primary feasibility study of the proposed project.

The school district applied for funding through the Ministry of Education’s Carbon Neutral Capital Program (CNCP) in June of 2018 and received full funding for the project ($450,000) in March of 2019.

In July of 2019, the school district invested in a hybrid energy system that integrated solar energy production, advanced energy storage, and an expandable inverter platform. Falcon Engineering provided technical assistance in creating the RFP, contract documents, and contract supervision. Hakai Energy Solutions had the successful proposal utilizing 140 high-output solar panels with a total capacity of 50kW, plus a 118 kWh of lithium-based energy storage and 86 kW of combined inverter technologies. This system was designed to offset diesel consumption by reducing generator operation by 6,900 hours each year (an 80 per cent reduction). It is anticipated that Naghtaneqed Elementary Junior Secondary School will recoup its investment in seven-and-a-half years through a reduction of fuel consumption of approximately 38,400 L every year, plus generator maintenance and replacement cost avoidance. Emissions reductions are estimated to be 2,534,000 kg of CO2 over the 25-year lifespan of the system, equivalent to 19,500,000 kilometres driven by a car.

School District #27 received the 2019 Clean Energy BC Community Improvement Award in November 2019 for this project. n