Norkam Secondary Solar Project gives students hands-on lesson in energy conservation BY LISA FATTORI
The rooftop of Norkam Secondary School in Kamloops, B.C. is the site of a new pilot project for a solar photovoltaic energy system. The rectangular solar panels convert the sun’s energy into usable electricity that is fed directly into the school’s electrical system. While a three per cent, off-grid electrical generation is a far cry from self-sustainability, the solar energy system exemplifies alternative energy sources to students who are the environmental caretakers of tomorrow.
“This is not the first solar project of the world, but it is the first project in our part of the province,” says Art McDonald, P. Eng., Director of Facilities and Transportation for School District 73 (Kamloops/Thompson). “On the school web site, students can see, in real time, the energy that the solar panels are collecting and the kilowatts per hour that are generated by the system.” Norkam Secondary School’s solar photovoltaic system cost approximately $40,000 to construct. While this cost was
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shared equally by BC Hydro and School District 73, the district used Power Smart Partner credits that they had earned over the years working with the electric utility on energy efficient upgrade projects throughout their 60 schools. British Columbia Institute of Technology provided technical assistance in the design and installation of the project, and Burnaby-based, Day4Energy provided the solar panels. “This project served as an opportunity for BC Hydro to support a customer that has been a leader in energy efficiency. It also gave us a first-hand understanding of the challenges that customers face in installing distributed generation systems,” says Gary Hamer, Technology Innovation Manager for BC Hydro. “We’re looking for customer-based saving or generation opportunities that we can support for less cost than if we were to buy the same amount of energy in the open market.
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