German school ‘goes green’ with solar system

THE German International School Cape Town (DSK) based in Tamboerskloof has fully embraced a green future by installing a 150kWp solar electricity system, officially switched on yesterday.

German Minister of Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Agenda Wolfgang Tiefensee officiated the launch yesterday.

Three German solar companies supply the renewable energy technology components. SolarWorld Africa provided the photovoltaic panels, SMA Solar Technology the solar inverters and Schletter South Africa supplied the mounting structure and installed the solar system to the school’s roof.

The system is designed for embedded generation that will maximise self-consumption and feed excess power back into Cape Town’s electricity grid.

DSK principal Alexander Kirmse said: “On most days, we supply the entire school with energy from the sun and still feed excess energy into the grid of the City of Cape Town.

“This plant teaches our learners the value of sustainable energy, generated by green technology, and being conscious of environmental challenges, which is all part of the ‘going green’ campaign for our school.”

DSK offers German-speaking children a primary and high school education in accordance with German curricula. In high school, the students are taught bilingually, according to South African and German curricula. The school accommodates 850 pupils of 25 nationalities.

SolarWorld Africa managing director Gregor Küpper said: “To be part of the German International School Cape Town’s solar photovoltaic project makes SolarWorld proud. Over its lifespan of at least 25 years, the solar system will save the school an enormous amount of electricity cost and set a shining example of the quality and long-lasting performance security of German solar technology.

“Additionally the photovoltaic system will serve as an early introduction to the opportunities of solar photovoltaic use to the students.”

SMA group chief technology officer Jürgen Reinert said the initiative enables DSK to become more independent in their energy supply by using their own clean solar energy.

The system is monitored via SMA’s Sunny Portal and during the first eight weeks of operational testing around 38 megawatt hours (MWh) were generated, of which a substantial 13 MWh were fed back into the grid.