ROOF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV)

Since utility costs are one of the few areas of a school's budget that can’t be trimmed

without negatively affecting the student experience, growing numbers of administrators are

exploring the benefits of solar power for schools.

School facilities are excellent candidates for solar conversion, particularly large

campuses spread out over a wide geographic area. For schools, solar panels can easily offset

monthly utility bills. With a larger installation, it may even be possible to switch to 100%

renewable energy. In addition, solar energy in schools presents a great teaching opportunity

that can enrich classroom content with real-world examples of the benefits of renewable energy.

Schools have a unique advantage when it comes to solar energy due to the structure of

their facilities. Most school buildings in the Philippines have large roof spaces that are ideal for

rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems. Additionally, these facilities often have

school parking lots which could be put to productive use by installing solar PV canopies that

harness the sun’s power and offer the added benefit of shading parked vehicles on sunny days.

Similarly, schools that have vacant land areas as part of their campus can create modest solar

PV farms to further maximize their energy output. The opportunity to make the most of

underutilized spaces while saving money gives administrators no reason not to consider solar

power for their energy needs.

 SCHOOL ENERGY USE

Solar power provides a more efficient way for schools to meet their energy needs. A

single silicon solar panel produces as much energy over its 30- to 40-year lifespan as a nuclear

fuel rod. Efficiency of power generation results in cost savings as well as substantial ecological

benefits. For every 1 kW/hr of solar energy that is produced, 300 lbs of carbon is kept out of the

atmosphere.

The Bataan Peninsula State University is known for its roofs being exposed thru the sun,

which can be seen for miles around. These roofs have beneficial properties, such as having a

high albedo or reflectivity, and also add an important aesthetic dimension to our campus. Aside

from buildings with the roofs being exposed, the University is home to many other possible

sites, such as; existing buildings, facilities, and several parking lots with unused space.

Photovoltaic cells work at an atomic level to convert light into energy by using electric fields.

When light strikes the magnetic field, electrons are knocked loose from the atoms in a

semiconductor material, which surrounds the atoms. When electrical conductors are attached
on both the positive and negative sides a circuit is created, which allows for the capture of the

electrons in the form of an electric current. When many cells are placed together in the form of a

panel, the amount of potential energy increases, and also eliminates absorption problems due

to shadows and the placement of the sun in the sky. The main objective of the panels is to

convert as many photons into usable energy, which means that in order to be the most efficient

they must be placed in areas that will be exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day. There

are two main types of rooftop solar panel installations; fixed and tracking. Fixed panels have a

directional orientation that is set at the time of installation, which makes for a rigid and stable

structure. Tracking solar panels are attached to a motor, which follow the sun throughout its

position in the sky throughout the day.

As an alternative to retrofitting existing buildings with solar panels, the university could

utilize unused space in parking lots. Solar canopies are structures that provide protection from

the elements, generate electricity, and maintaining the aesthetic qualities of the buildings at the

university. There are several types of solar canopies to consider, including architectural solar

canopies, fixed-tilt solar canopies, and tracking canopies. Architectural solar canopies are the

most aesthetically pleasing and stable structures available. These applications also have the

ability to change the pitch of the roof in two directions at the time of installation, allowing for

optimized solar absorption. Fixed-tilt solar panels are similar in design to architectural solar

canopies, but may only be oriented in one direction, which does not allow for as much

absorption. Tracking solar canopies use motors to keep the panels at an optimum angle with the

sun. These systems provide up to 25% more energy, but do not provide a system for

precipitation runoff and do not hold up well against snow accumulation (Sunpower). There are

three ways to finance a solar parking feature; cash purchase, solar power purchase agreement

(PPA), or a solar lease (Sunpower). The cash purchase is the 16 simplest route in terms of

financing a solar feature, and also provides for the greatest net total energy savings over the

system’s lifetime. By avoiding third party expenses and interest, you can maximize energy and
capital savings. The solar power purchase agreement allows your organization to purchase

solar energy on a monthly basis with no upfront cost. This means that the university would

house the solar features, but not have to deal with any maintenance due to third party

management. Leasing is the least desirable option, because at the end of the agreement you

are either left with nothing or outdated equipment.

PENELCO

This is the illustration on how solar photovoltaic PV implements grid tied solar solutions. This

means solar power becomes first priority in your building, when the sun is shining. No need for

batteries.
 For example: You have 5kWp of solar panels in the whole building. It’s 10AM on a hot

summer morning. Your system is harvesting 3,500W right now. However, you’re running 4hp of

aircon, your electrifan, and a room with 20 computers; and you actually need 7,500W. Well, the first

3,500W is already being supplied by your rooftop. The remaining 4,000W will be supplied by

Penelco/your power company. This is all automatic. The grid tie inverter that installed automatically

synchronizes with the grid (Penelco or your local power company). All of this would entail that there

will be no flickering, no switching, and best of all – no batteries!

Another example: You have 3kWp of solar panels on your room. It’s harvesting 2000W right

now. Nothing is on except a fan and a computer so only 300W is being consumed. Where does the

extra 1700W go? Well, if you signed up for NET METERING with your Power Company, your meter

will actually reverse and they will credit you for the kWh you exported. You can use this at night.

Right now, they only credit for blended generation charge, not 1:1 value. But it’s just as good as

batteries. Why? It is because batteries cost a lot of money. Batteries need to be maintained; they

can only be drained 30% to have a decent service life. Apart from that, batteries take up space and

they experience losses. So, if you put 1000Wh into a battery bank, do not expect to get 1000Wh out

of it. There’s about 15% chemical and heat loss, then there’s about 10% in inverter losses when

LOW VOLTAGE DC becomes AC. This is why we advise GRID TIE with NO BATTERIES, if your

primary goal is to SAVE MONEY. Our main tip would be to cut out all your DAYTIME loads, and let

the sun power your DAYTIME loads. At night, use Penelco/your power company.
Conclusion

It is imperative that the university comes up with an alternate energy plan that is

sustainable for the future. We have to find a way to harness energy and use it more efficiently,

starting here at BPSU. In this report we have provided a study of the feasibility as well as the

incentives for the implementation of solar energy on our campus. With declining prices of solar

technology, we recommend that now is an excellent time to pursue large scale sustainable

energy use. With the information provided, we have determined that the implementation of a

solar array on the Nursing Building being built is a good idea. It will save cost from retrofitting on

previously built establishments and avoid any visual infractions. In doing so, this has been

proven to be cost efficient and more sustainable for the environment. Increasing technology will

also produce figures that will pay for themselves within a short period of time. Although there

are obstacles to getting solar implemented on campus, this report could be referred to and can

be highly beneficial to the University in the future.