Westcliff High School for Girls

March 17, 2014

Westcliff High School for Girls have installed a 30kWp Solar PV array on their roofs.

The Background

Westcliff High School for Girls is a selective Grammar School which is based in Southend and has grown to its present size of around 1080 pupils. Westcliff High School for Girls has an enviable reputation for academic excellence and pastoral care. They are a Specialist College for Science and Engineering which blends traditional values with preparation for the future. Many of the decisions at the school take into account sustainability and in particular minimising energy use: Solar PV was therefore an excellent option. Westcliff High School for Girls had investigated many alternative energy projects but found most of them to be inefficient and financially unviable. Following Evogreen’s presentation, Dr. Hayman, the Headteacher, was impressed by the “technical aspect and the system efficiency”, whereas Colin Bott, the Bursar, was impressed by the “financial returns”.

The Installation

30 kWp solar PV array
Winaico WSSP-235 Panels
SMA 3-Phase Inverters
Sunny Beam 3000 Monitoring System

Benefits

Annual output of 28,934 kWh
Reduced energy costs of £173,970 over the project lifespan
640 tonne reduction in CO2 emissions over the project lifespan
Revenue generated from FiT and export tariff £447,888 over the project lifespan

Testimonials

“With increasing energy prices, the idea that we might produce our own electricity and sell the extra that we generate back to the National Grid was an opportunity that we should not miss”. – Dr Paul Hayman – Headmaster.

“We were not in a position to commit the amount of funds required for an outright purchase, so we decided to rent the equipment over 12 years. The whole process was relatively painless. The school is benefitting financially, our carbon footprint has been reduced and I am a little greener than I used to be”. – Colin Bott – Bursar

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