News at St. Catherine's
Solar Panels Powering St. Catherine's
Solar panels recently installed on the Kenny Center are generating power for campus.
Imagine more than 1.87 million smart phones filling the Green.
The energy already produced by the solar panels recently installed on the Kenny Center roof could easily charge all of those phones. And that number is increasing by the minute as those panels continue to convert sunlight into electrical energy.
The solar panels, installed in February, are one of the results of a comprehensive in-depth energy conservation study commissioned by St. Catherine’s three years ago.
“The school has been executing the plan in a phased approach,” said St. Catherine’s CFO Peter Pastore, who has overseen the energy reducing efforts. “Solar was one facet of that plan and will provide energy savings, reduce our consumption of the earth’s natural resources, as well as provide an academic application for our girls.”
Hanover-based Performance Technology installed the Photovoltaic arrays on the Kenny Center at cost, primarily using American-made equipment. The Kenny Center, which houses the School’s gym, weight facility and indoor pool, is the largest energy consumer on campus – particularly the pool, which requires 24-hour filtration. Over the cours of one year, the panels will produce enough energy to power the Kenny Center for one month.
The Photovoltaic panels convert photon energy into direct current (DC) electricity. The DC current is fed into three inverters which converts the electricity from direct current into alternating current (AC) to match the type of electricity delivered from the Dominion Power electric grid.
The Photovoltaic panels convert photon energy into direct current (DC) electricity. The DC current is fed into three inverters which converts the electricity from direct current into alternating current (AC) to match the type of electricity delivered from the Dominion Power electric grid.
The 50 kWh of solar panels came online in mid-February and immediately began generating electricity. Payback is 9½ years, Pastore said.
A recent monitoring of the classrooms revealed that 40 percent of the time the lights were on in the classroom, no one was in the room. As a result, the main buildings of campus have been retrofitted with light sensors and lights that produce 20 percent more light with less energy and less heat. Pastore explained that with the cost savings generated combined with an energy rebate from Dominion, the payback is 2.6 years.
Monitor the up to the minute impact of the solar panels here.
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Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St. Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
