Five schools in the Leixlip area will be powered by solar energy thanks to a new initiative from SSE Airtricity and Intel Ireland, a major employer located in the area.
The schools have been equipped with unique and innovative Solar PV-and-Battery powered technology project that will help them to generate and store their own energy supply directly from the sun.
Minister Denis Naughten was on hand on Thursday to officially unveil the project, and the schools that will benefit from the new scheme are Scoil Bhride, Scoil Mhuire, Scoil San Carlo Junior, Scoil San Carlo Senior and Gaelscoil Ui Dhalaigh.
The ambitious ‘Solar for Schools’ project is the brainchild of leading energy and technology partners SSE Airtricity and Intel Ireland, and is supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) as part of its ‘Better Energy Communities’ fund.
The project combines Solar PV-and-Battery powered technology which has been installed in each of the participating schools, allowing these energy users to generate and store their own energy rather than draw down energy from the grid. The aim of the project is to increase community focus on sustainability and create a greater understanding of how renewable energy and storage can help serve our energy needs.
Solar for Schools is part of an ongoing multi-million euro partnership programme between Intel and SSE Airtricity to test latest Demand Side Management energy technologies. Under this latest initiative between the two organisations, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have been installed free-of-charge into the participating schools.
The installed technology not only generates greener energy but also stores it, allowing the schools to use the stored electricity supply when they need it. This helps to reduce the amount of wastage in electricity generation through self-consumption and eases demand on the grid at peak times.
Minister Naughten visited San Carlo Junior School to officially launch the Solar for Schools initiative and see the innovative power supply project working first-hand. As part of the launch the Minister had the opportunity to meet representatives and students from each of the participating schools and to hear about their experiences of the project so far.
Speaking at the launch Minister Denis Naughten said; “Partnership is crucial to most successes in life, whether within technology companies, across communities, within schools and most certainly within Government. Better Energy Communities’ projects are no different and this initiative has demonstrated inspiring levels of partnership, co-operation and innovative thinking, involving home owners, energy suppliers, large multi-national corporations and teams from the SEAI and my own Department.”
Each participating school has received eight Solar PV panels (2kWp) and one LG Chem battery, each capable of storing up to 7kWh in electricity capacity – enough generation to typically power more than 10 school computers or interactive whiteboards each day. In total, 40 Solar PV panels and five LG Chem batteries have been installed at the five schools, generating a combined total of 35kWh in electricity storage capacity daily.
The green energy generated from the sun and stored for use by the five Leixlip schools is enough to offset over 50 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions annually.
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