Solar. Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School, through the commitment and dedication of its Governing Body, has installed a solar panel system. The system provides the entire school and Boarding Establishment with an uninterrupted power supply.
Following the many power outages in the city, coupled with the ever-increasing stages of load shedding, GHS identified the need to provide its learners and staff with a reliable and steady stream of power. It will ensure that the school continues as normal regardless of any external factors.
Backup power
Having backup power is a wonderful development. It makes all the difference during load shedding and outages when the productivity of the school would ordinarily grind to a halt. The phones, intercom and bell are reliant on electricity and function as primary communication tools. Furthermore, most lessons are delivered with the aid of Smartboards, data projectors and laptops, all of which require Wifi.
The Boarding Establishment will also no longer be plunged into darkness during load shedding or power outages. It will continue to function seamlessly.
The system installation began in November 2022 and was tested throughout the first term of this year. There are 546 panels on the indoor centre roof and 474 panels on the school roof on the northeast side of the building.
Furthermore, a generator has been installed to serve as backup when solar cannot provide enough energy. When there is load shedding during the day, the generator is throttled by the solar, depending on the weather. During the night, only the generator supplies electricity.
Long-term security of energy
“Installing Solar will lead to long-term security of energy availability and will facilitate future operations within the school. Currently the energy is used to power all facilities on the campus. Future applications will be heating and cooling, particularly in classrooms, and new applications that will emerge, especially for the education sector.
“The project was successfully completed, safely, on time, and on budget. For this, we would like to thank Johan Marx, our Estates Manager, who led this project, and was ably assisted by Mrs Cookie Pillay (Bursar) and Thabo Mokhatla (IT Manager). We also thank Renu Solar, the supplier and installer, for partnering with us in such a professional manner.
“Finally, we would like to thank the School Governing Body for approving and funding the project and thus making it easier for the Principal, Management, Educators and other staff to do their jobs,” said Hector Molale, GHS Governing Body Chairman.
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