While the children of Bluestone School, Timaru are away enjoying school holidays, the CPS Solar crew have joined a team from Dimension Building and are hard at work installing at 30kW solar photovoltaic system at the school.

The substantial solar installation means the school will generate a significant amount of the energy they consume.

WINAICO Panels Installed

As with all of our solar installations, we have chosen WINAICO solar panels. The panels have been installed on the roofs of two classrooms and an administration block.

Innovative Shade Structure Installed

In addition, an innovative new structure in the playground will have the dual purpose of giving shade to the student seating area in the summer months and housing another array of solar panels

Fronius Inverters Installed

Our preferred inverter for large commerical projects such as this, is the Fronius Symo.  The high system voltage, wide input voltage range, along with the WiFi and monitoring capabilities, make the Symo an ideal inverter for commercial applications.

Other Benefits for the School

A further benefit resulting from this project is that the energy generated will be monitored through the school’s computer system and used as a learning tool for the students.

The solar installation is part of a larger energy saving project that includes changing all lighting to LED. The new lights will provide a vastly superior quality of light and lower ongoing running costs.

The project is being managed by Rushton Architects. Learn more about the project in this article from Stuff.

Bluestone School joins a growing number of solar schools in New Zealand that are enjoying lower energy costs, including Lyttelton Primary School, Maungaraki School and Naenae Primary School. We will be undertaking another major solar schools project at Cashmere High School later this year, watch this space!