Dec 11 2009
Burnaby School District (no. 41) is outfitting two newly-constructed school buildings with rooftop solar power systems from Victoria-based Carmanah Technologies Corporation in an effort to meet sustainability objectives.
The decision to install the photovoltaic array will bring the school district closer to realizing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for both buildings. LEED certification is a distinction given to buildings and facilities that meet a set of environmentally sustainable standards in construction for which the installation of alternative energy options and eco-friendly infrastructure is a requirement.
According to Burnaby School District Facility Services Director, Phil Shepherd, the benefits of the Carmanah grid-tied photovoltaic systems are expected to go beyond building certification and a reduced monthly electrical bill. “The arrays will not only act as a utility source, but also as an instructional tool for our students. Along with other components such as a demonstration green roof, storm water management, high-efficiency heating plant, and digital environmental controls, they will be viewed and shared by our students and the communities.” Performance-monitoring will be included in the installation with the intention of integrating study of the solar system’s function and performance with the school’s curriculum.
Once completed, the Brantford Elementary site located in Central Burnaby, B.C., Canada, and the UniverCity Elementary site located at Simon Fraser University, also in B.C., will be equipped with 18kW and 13kW roof-top solar array respectively, with combined electricity production estimated at 33,000 kWh of energy per year. The Simon Fraser location will be the first LEED Gold retrofit-certified school site in British Columbia.
The new solar arrays will be installed during the spring and summer of 2010, and are expected to be fully operational in time for schools to reopen in September of that year.
Source: http://www.carmanah.com/