Down by more than half, New Zealand's biggest school solar power system has slashed electricity bills at Kerikeri High School.
The 174-kilowatt system eclipses what was previously the country's biggest solar system, a 101kW solar panel array at Kaitaia College which opened in 2019. Kerikeri High associate principal Mike Clent said the move to solar power made a lot of sense.
Power costs in Kerikeri were among the highest in New Zealand and had increased by an average of more than 5 percent every year during the past decade.
At peak output, the system generated 60 to 65 percent of the school's power needs and while the solar system, by SuperPower, cost a ''significant sum'', Clent was confident it would pay for itself in five years. It had a projected life of 25 years so that meant 20 years of savings that could be directed into other areas of the school.
The new system also benefited the environment and provided new learning opportunities for students. The panels cover the roofs of the gym and the 10-classroom Business, Enterprise and Social Sciences block. With no external funding available, the school took the plunge and funded the system itself.
At the official opening of Kerikeri High School’s solar power system associate principal Mike Clent (left).
“We applied two years ago to the Ministry of Education's Contestable Sustainability Fund and thought we had a strong case, but we were turned down.”
The new system was even more valuable in the Covid era because the air conditioning had to be used more often to increase ventilation, pushing power costs up even more.
The project had been several years in the making and was finally switched on earlier this term.
''I expect there'll be growing numbers of schools in high sunshine areas looking at solar as an option, a, for the financial benefits, and b, more importantly, because it's sustainable energy that reduces the impact on the environment. By using solar power, we're practising what we preach and leading the way for our students and the wider community. It also has really good educational benefits for the kids.''
The school had expert guidance from Gerry Buxton, a retired engineer with grandchildren at the school.
''He gave us the confidence to proceed,'' Clent said.
Buxton had previously worked with Riverview School, a Kerikeri primary school that also uses solar power.
Teachers were now exploring ways in which the accumulating solar power data could be incorporated into a range of curriculum areas.
