School installs 60 kW solar PV system

Autonomous Energy has designed, installed and commissioned a 60 kW Solar PV system at Pymble Ladies’ College. The system was installed in two phases, the first phase (16 kW) was commissioned in July 2011 and the second phase (60 kW) went live in February 2012.

This industrial-sized solar PV system is part of Pymble Ladies’ College’s dedicated Environmental Management Plan and commitment to sustainability. The system comprises 215 W multicrystalline PV solar modules manufactured by Kyocera. The array is mounted on engineered, solar-specific mounting equipment and is connected to SMA three-phase inverters via (USE-2 rated) DC solar cabling. The inverters connect to the electricity network via a solar distribution board and a digital bidirectional CT meter, which enables Pymble Ladies’ College to use the solar electricity first and export any excess electricity produced to the electricity network.

A specialised solar data monitoring system has also been installed, which collects and displays a range of data including solar power output from the inverters, sunlight levels, ambient temperature, cell temperature and much more. This data is presented on a customised Online Web Portal and is used by staff and students at the college for educational purposes as well as by Autonomous Energy for ongoing system performance monitoring and reporting.

“Pymble Ladies’ College is committed to environmental awareness, sustainability, recycling and carbon emission reduction." said David Sexton, Head of Operational Services, Pymble Ladies’ College. "In partnership with Autonomous Energy, we have commissioned and installed a number of key energy-saving initiatives that includes the largest solar panel system in an Australian school, an upgrade to energy-efficient lighting and the implementation of a comprehensive energy audit program. Pymble’s original plan to install a 16 kW solar system was significantly expanded to 60 kW following the exploration of the wider benefits of the system for the college and its community."

Using CEC guidelines, Autonomous Energy has conservatively estimated that the system will produce approximately 86,403 kW hours pa and reduce GHG emissions by 91,588 kg CO_2e pa.