Student Hub shines in the solar stakes

Since the solar 2middle of December, a 400 solar panel, renewable energy plant has been generating clean energy from its location on top of the new Student Hub and Plaza building.

The location of the solar array on the new buildings was a key design component to provide additional energy when the University really needs it – on hot summer days.

University Sustainability Officer Mathew Jeffrey says Flinders requires large amounts of power for its education and research facilities.

”We have 52 buildings and over 185,000m2 of space at Bedford Park, not to mention our other sites across regional SA and interstate,” Mr Jeffrey says.

While more energy is generally used in winter for heating, the highest demand comes at peak times in summer during ‘heatwave’ conditions.

“These peak periods are when ‘clean energy’ generation from the sun really comes into its own. Energy generated from the solar array takes pressure off the grid and frees up energy for use around the rest of campus – to maintain critical teaching and research infrastructure,” he says.

The system is so efficient that weekends have seen the solar array producing more energy than required in the buildings it services – the Plaza, Union, Professional Services, Registry, Student Centre and Yunggorendi Mande.

Ali Roush, the Student Association’s Environment Officer, says students increasingly expect  the University to be at the leading edge of sustainability, ethical and cultural issues faced by society.

“You expect your University to operate in a way that mirrors the latest research and thinking in the sector, whether it be the type of courses they offer, or in this case, the use of solar technology to produce clean, renewable energy,

“My aim is to work with the University to make sure we ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to sustainability, and this solar array on the Student Hub building is another step in the right direction.”

The addition of 100kW of renewable energy generation complements the 65kW array installed on the Law and Commerce building in September 2014.

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