Catholic boy school Mazenod College recently announced that it is commissioning Enervest to install a rooftop solar array on its campus. Mazenod College is located in the south-eastern suburb of Mulgrave.
This is one of the largest college arrays that have been installed in the area. The solar array will be comprised of more than 1,000 ReneSola PV panels and a range of SolarMax grid connected inverters.
Solar array an environmental responsibility
“Mazenod College has made an investment in solar power because we have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint for the benefit of future generations,” says Fr. Michael Twigg, Principal of Mazenod College.
“The school is conscious that the initial outlays will bring financial benefits both now and into the future, and our working families understand the value of well-considered projects for the school’s future growth,” he adds.
“Through this project, we would like to raise the social awareness amongst our students and spread the word to the wider community that we can all play a part in living a more sustainable lifestyle,” he continues.
Solar array energy production
The solar array is expected to generate nearly 50 per cent of the college’s energy needs from its average generation of 330 MWh of solar power every year. This will result in considerable savings in electricity bills.
A side benefit, which is also significant, is the reduction of the college’s carbon emission by 455 tonnes every ear. Financially, the benefits are also considerable, the system is estimated to deliver up to 28 per cent per annum of internal rate of return.
The college has made the investment in the solar array “for the benefit of future generations,” says Fr. Twigg. However, he was also counting on its financial benefits.
“The school is conscious that the initial outlays will bring financial benefits both now and into the future, and our working families understand the value of well-considered projects for the schools future growth,” he explains.
ReneSola, the company that supplies the solar panels for the largest college solar array is upbeat about the project. “Mazenod College is at the forefront of Victoria’s colleges by choosing to invest in a solar system,” says Derek Marsden, general manager of ReneSola Australia.
“In a time where many education providers are faced with rising cost pressures, solar power is a viable solution that pays off right from the start quite apart from the obvious educational benefits for their students,” Derek explains.
The inverter system that will be used by the solar array will consist of six 15MT2, six 10MT2, eight 13MT2, two 3000P, one 4000P inverter, and one MaxMeteo. Additionally, the solar array will be composed of more than 1000 ReneSola Virtus II PID-Free PV panels.
Enervest will utilize SolarMax’s remote monitoring platform to help the students understand how solar power provides their energy needs. The remote monitoring system includes MaxWeb, which will enable the college to access the SolarMax WebPortal.
This will enable the college staff to get a real-time display of performance data such as input and output currents, input and output voltages, device temperature, yield and frequency via the internet.
