Two Lower Hutt primary schools are already reaping the benefits of generating their own electricity while a third is on its way. Maungaraki, a Silver Enviroschool and Naenae, a beyond GreenGold Enviroschool had solar phovoltaic (PV) systems installed earlier this year. Gracefield School is working towards the same goal.
As an Enviroschool, Naenae Primary was keen to explore more sustainable energy options. Principal Murray Bootten could see how it could save money and support students to make the links with sustainability and “make better use of what we’ve got.” The school put a proposal into the Hutt City Council’s Bright Sparks Challenge which was seeking innovative ideas to support the environment. The Council put them in contact with another submitter, the Dynamis Project.
Naenae School with its solar panels
You can watch a video about the Dynamis Project.
Mike Rathbone is behind the Dynamis Project. Dynamis is a Greek word meaning power or force and is pronounced Venamis. Mike works as a cameraman for a living, but has become passionate about supporting schools to reduce their energy and to help reduce our impact on climate change. He sees schools as the hubs of their communities and a great place to model energy sustainability.
Maungaraki School explored wind and solar energy with Mike, and when the costs of solar came down, the project became viable. Mike spoke to their Envirogroup and the students formed a G-Force team to work with Principal Lisa Cavanagh on communication and grants applications. It took just over a year to raise the funds required and to install the panels. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. It’s very doable, very manageable, and we reap the rewards for the schools and community.” In Term 2 this year (2014) the whole school took part in an integrated study “Switch on to switching off” so everyone could learn about sustainable energy use and generation.
Maungaraki School's solar panels
With Mike’s support, the schools have installed 10kW of photovoltaic (PV) cells. 10kW will cover a third to a half of a small school's power needs, with the potential at high solar times of the year to generate enough power to pump back into the national grid. Murray Bootten says Naenae Primary is already using 33 – 50% less electricity (they use gas for heating).
Mike has done the research and leg work to identify the issues involved in such a project, and he is documenting this as he goes on the Dynamis
website His vision is to ensure any school who wants to do this has a good example to follow, with many of the practical issues and resources required identified. This means he's following up the school's energy use over the next few years to see seasonal patterns as well. He doesn't want schools to have to reinvent the wheel.
Student involvement and education is central to the project. Mike has included ways for classes to audit their current energy use and incorporate new technology so that schools can see what is happening once the PV system is installed.
He hopes this encourages a mindset where kids are automatically thinking "what are the other ways we can make a difference and reduce energy use in our school?" He can see a time when schools repaint their roof white (
http://www.whiteroofs.org.nz/) or seriously explore water and wind turbine generation. The Dynamis website has a list of possibilities:
http://www.dynamisproject.co.nz/todo_list.phpTo this end, Mike is also developing other case studies showing the potential of LED lighting to further reduce energy demand. Both Naenae Primary and Maungaraki Schools have had LED lighting installed in their libraries, sponsored by Ecopoint. Mike has measured light levels and found they are double the levels of traditional fluorescent tubes and don't have the flicker associated with these tubes. Cost is an issue, but as demand increases this should come down. Mike is currently documenting and supporting a project to install LEDs throughout a school. He can see schools taking on the challenge and renovate the lighting one room at a time. Schools can also fundraise through selling Ecopoint LED lighting.
http://www.dynamisproject.co.nz/funding.php
Updated 14/10/14
