What were the three key factors needed for solar power systems designed for schools in the NT?
Synopsis
Palmerston College in Darwin, Northern Territory, is one of the schools benefiting from the NT schools' program, which aims to install solar panels on schools. The installation of LG 400 watt Neon's has enabled the school to achieve the higher system for the school and reduce electricity bills by 27%. The savings of around $3000 per month will equate to around $40,000 per year and can be used to buy students more furniture, computers and other necessities.
The tender specifications for this project prioritised quality, longevity and reliability, and LG's 25-year product and performance warranty was the perfect fit for the school. SEM, which won the tender, completed the installation without any disruptions to the school and will continue to monitor and assist with any difficulties in the future.
Video Transcript
- Today we're here at Palmerston College up in Darwin, Northern Territory. The Darwin NT Government has recently put together a NT schools' program where we put solar on schools. Great initiative. The process of that obviously goes to tender, so we obviously had to tender against a couple of other solar companies. And lucky enough that we were awarded that tender.
- Our college was really lucky to be on the first round to get the solar panels installed. And it worked out really well because the government actually have covered everything with the installation.
- We've got the LG 400 watt Neon's. We utilized the 400s on this job because we had a minimum roof requirement that we could work with. So being able to put 225 panels on this roof, meant we could achieve the higher system for the school.
- [MaryRose] We are getting savings of around $3000 a month and that will equate to around $40,000 a year, and that money, it can be used elsewhere. It can be used to buy the students more furniture, replace things like our whiteboards, especially we always need more computers.
- Within the tender specifications for this job, the NT Government were really looking at quality, longevity, reliability. With these three words, first thing that came to mind was LG. With a 25 year product and performance warranty, there was really no other product on the market that we were happy to use. LG came to the party with the 400s to really increase the system size. Palmerston College, we really had to work with two roof bases there as well as a walkway. We had a limited amount of room, so we had to go with the 400s, obviously, so we could get a bigger size on that roof.
- [MaryRose] It is stressful working with budgets, so with the savings on this solar, I can use the money far better in areas for our students.
- It was about decreasing their power bill. So, right now after we've finished, we're probably sitting around 27% of their entire load we're offsetting, which is great. And on the weekends, obviously, a little bit more due to the school being closed.
- So I've found it very easy to work with SEM. The team was able to communicate with us really well and they did it without any interruptions to the school at all. With SEM on board, we know that we have plenty of savings coming up. They're also going to be monitoring and helping us out with any difficulties from now til lifetime, I believe.