St Lucy’s the first school in NSW to embrace solar and battery storage
Media release dated 13 October 2016
Swimming lessons are about to get a whole lot better for the children of St Lucy’s Primary School in Wahroonga. After the installation of a brand new solar and lithium-ion battery system during the holidays, the students will now enjoy their lessons in warm water all year round.
“We are incredibly excited to be one of the first schools in NSW to embrace this new energy storage technology” said Susan Jones, Deputy Principal from St Lucy’s. “This will enable us to heat the pool, save on energy costs and do our bit for the environment. From every angle there is a positive” said Ms Jones.
Over the holiday break, Red Energy donated and installed 95 x JA Solar 265W polycrystalline panels on the gymnasium roof and a Panasonic lithium-ion 8kWh battery. The installation will generate approximately 40,770 kWh’s per annum. Enough energy to run the pool pump and heating system all year round.
“The swimming program is incredibly important to the students on a number of levels. All children need swimming survival skills but kids with disabilities can be at even higher levels of risk when it comes to water safety. The children also love the freedom of mobility the water brings – so to be able to extend our season and potentially use the pool all year round is just wonderful” explains Ms Jones. “In addition we plan to use the $5,000 we save annually on electricity to invest in our literacy program. We are extremely grateful to Red Energy for their generous philanthropic support.”
Iain Graham, CEO of Red Energy estimates the solar and battery system will cut carbon emissions by 55 tons per year. The equivalent of 6 Australian homes. “The St Lucy’s story is a great example of the benefits the solar and battery technology can bring. We saw an opportunity to be able to help a school that’s doing great things for its community in a really tangible way. The solar and battery package is not just going to heat the pool, but it will save the school thousands of dollars on energy which can be diverted into its learning programs.”