A TOKEN OF REMEMBRANCE, RESPECT AND AFFECTION FROM THE BATCH OF 1987
BACKGROUND
- The State of Tamil Nadu is experiencing a huge power shortage
- Vidya Mandir School consumes significant power and has been experiencing long power outages
- The alumni batch of students who completed Class XII in 1987, who celebrated their 25th year reunion in 2012, were eager to make meaningful, lasting contribution for the welfare of their Alma Mater
- The batch of 1987 alumni decided to invest in a Solar Power System to provide power to the High School building, to take care of a part of the power requirement of the School. One of the Alumni, Founder of a Solar Energy Company (U-Solar), created the detailed project proposal
- The Solar Power System installed on the High School building shall deliver far reaching benefits to the School in terms of relief from power cuts, savings in power bills, contribution to environmental sustainability, and the School’s image as an exemplary institution
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
- Solar PV panels mounted on metal structures on the rooftop of the building produce DC (direct current) electricity when exposed to sunshine, which is then converted to AC (alternating current) for use in the office facility
- The System is a hybrid solar PV system, with a solar panel array of 8KW, and an inverter of 14KW (sufficient capacity to handle the entire lighting and fan load of the High School Building)
- The System would feed the circuit through the day, maintain battery back up of upto 4 hours and feed the loads connected to the inverter. Excess power can be sent back to the grid (net metering)
| Components | Capacity |
| PV Module |
|
| PowerConditioning Unit |
|
| Battery Bank | 2600AH @ 12V – Tubular Lead Acid Batteries |
| Load | Feeds about 32 class rooms in the High School – 120 fans and 140 lights |
No Power Cuts: The High School Building shall have power for lights, fans and computers, even when there is a power cut
Non Polluting: The alternative to providing power during power cuts would have been a Diesel Generator that is polluting and expensive to maintain.
Savings: Net expected savings in power bills (as solar energy will be used instead of grid power even when there is no power cut) of Rs. 4.08 lakhs by year 5; Rs. 3.20 lakhs by year 10 ; Rs.3.75 lakhs by year 15. This assumes excess power can be fed back to the grid and “net metered”. If compared with putting in a Diesel Generator, the savings would be even more significant.
Scalable: The System is scalable for future growth, as it includes the highest rated inverter (14kw) to support the entire building load, and further expansion is possible in panels / battery
Green Power: Reduces the School’s carbon foot-pint and projects its image as an exemplary and responsible institution.
The Solar Future: Solar Energy is going to play a larger role in the nation’s energy mix. The recently announced Tamil Nadu Policy mandates 6% of energy consumption to be sourced from Solar for most institutions by 2014. Vidya Mandir would lead the way.
Contact:
Vidya Mandir School: www.vidya-mandir.com U-Solar (Solution Provider): www.usolar.in
