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 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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“BC Hydro also supported this project for its educational value. Kamloops students can not only experience how a solar system works, they may also choose a career in a clean-technology industry. We recognize that the future of new technologies lies with our students, and it’s important to get them interested at an early stage.”

As an importer of electricity, BC has a lot to gain from exploring new technologies in energy self-sustainability. Green solutions, such as solar energy and wind power, are still in their infancy, with an untapped potential. Norkam Secondary students are at the forefront of the green revolution, and they have front row seats to the economic viability of new energy sources.

“The solar energy project will be incorporated into the curriculum in courses such as physics, chemistry and geography,” McDonald says. “The plant is a 4 kilowatt plant that is expected to generate up to 20,000 kilowatts per hour of electricity, per year. Construction started in September, 2007, and the plant was fully commissioned and operating by mid-February.”

The Norkam Secondary Solar Project builds on School District 73’s ongoing initiatives to reduce energy consumption. In the last five years, the school district has successfully reduced utility usage by 20 per cent, with corresponding avoided cost savings of $400,000$500,000 annually. Lighting upgrades, boiler replacements, irrigation controllers, better system controls and heightened awareness among school staff and students are, together, reducing energy consumption, which translates into lower costs. The school district’s leadership in energy conservation earned School District 73 the BC Hydro Power Smart Partners Excellence Award for 2006.

“Conservation is a big issue because of environmental concerns and the financial cost of energy usage,” McDonald says. “When you have tight funding for boards of education, every dollar saved goes back into the classroom. You are not hurting the economy by going green – in fact, you are saving a lot of money.”

For a real-time view of what the plant is doing, readers can visit the following link: http://view2.fatspaniel.net/ PV2Web/merge?view=PV/simple/ HostedEndUser&eid=94477