Over 312 Canadian Solar CS6P-250P polycrystalline solar panels –
Solenergy Systems, a solar power system design and installation company, has completed a rooftop solar project for a school in the Philippines that will help reduce the annual power bill and make a pioneering green statement to the country.
Over 312 Canadian Solar CS6P-250P polycrystalline solar panels – each rated at 250 watts – were installed for the solar rooftop project at the International School Manila. Even with the system size being limited to the school’s base power load requirement, the combined capacity of the system reached 80 kilowatts, and is expected to produce 110,000 kW hours annually.
Commissioning and installing the system followed a very short timeline – which was the duration of the school’s summer vacation. Despite having to design a customized attachment detail to work with the existing flat concrete deck, and addressing client concerns about longevity and waterproofing of the system, the deadline was met in a matter of six weeks, reducing the power bill of the school in the academic year of 2013/2014, onwards.
“We take a very architectural approach to our system design, developing 3D models and rendering to ensure the client is comfortable with the design. We also finish all our systems to the U.S.-based solar code to ensure safety and longevity. This is a purely voluntary measure on our part, as the local code is limited,” Solenergy’s Chief Executive Officer Tom Peebles told EcoSeed.
Additionally, the solar rooftop system comes with a customized monitoring system that is both designed and assembled by their team in the Philippines. Solenergy’s monitoring system is a remote computer with a series of sensors that measure critical performance parameters and report to both the client and the company’s technical support, allowing for real-time diagnosis, and helping with maintenance.
“Capital requirement aside, we believe a major barrier to entry for solar power in the Philippines is education and understanding the technology. This is why we were particularly excited about the I.S.M. project in that it also gave us the ability to present the solar power system as an onsite learning lab for the students to help further their understanding,” said Mr. Peebles.
Solenergy is currently working with I.S.M.’s faculty to integrate the system and monitoring into the school’s curriculum at all school levels to help broaden the students’ understanding on solar power and renewable energy.
Solenergy Systems Inc. (www.solenergy.com.ph) is a Filipino company offering complete solar power design and installation services to local commercial and industrial power users. The company utilizes a multi-disciplinary staff of architects, engineers, and industry specialists from the solar industry to work on projects ranging from residential solar energy to industrial or grid-free systems.