Tonga Renewable Energies Project ‘09 - Vava'u High School
Energising Vava'u High School 2009
| Between the 14th of and 25th of November 2009 a group of students and staff of the University of Canterbury travelled to northern Tonga to install a solar power system for Vava’u High School. |  |
The team included six current and former students of the College of Engineering along with Professor Pat Bodger and Dr Stewart Hardie of the EPECentre, Russell Taylor of the EcoCARE Pacific Trust and Jim Palmer, registered electrician and member of Rotary International.
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Power, along with water bills have been a significant burden to Vava’u High School. Lack of funds to pay for water and power has forced the school to close on occasion. Through the installation of solar panels at the school, EWBNZ and EcoCARE have helped to reduce this burden while providing a valuable learning experience for the young engineers involved. This project has been running for a year and a half and came about as a collaborative effort between the Canterbury chapter of EWBNZ and EcoCARE Pacific Trust, a charity who focus on Pacific Island development. The solar system installed consisted of a 1440W solar PV array connected to the school’s main switchboard using a grid-tied inverter, supplementing power drawn from the electricity grid. The system is estimated to save the school, which uses about as much electricity as two average New Zealand households approximately $2000 per year. A combination of factors, including higher sunshine hours and electricity charges approximately three times that of what we experience in New Zealand made the system an economically viable option for the school. In addition to the economic benefit the team hope the system can be used as an educational resource for students as well as making a positive environmental impact. Almost all of Tonga’s power is generated through the combustion of fossil fuels. |
From left: (Standing) Luke Sinclair, Jim Palmer, Russell Taylor, (Sitting/Kneeling) Dane Hart, Pat Bodger, Suzanna Remmerswaal, Rob Cardwell, Stewart Hardie, Tim McGurk, Sam Davies, (not present) Greg Hart, Jenny Chi |
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In addition to the solar installation a range of other activities were carried out to assist the school with its electricity and water needs as well as the provision of general services. These activities included:
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Through the above activities and suggested energy and water saving activities the school is expected to save a further $4000 per year. This equates to over one fifth of the school’s spending in these areas. In addition to these activities, analysis and scoping work was carried out for the design and installation of a rainwater harvesting system for the school which may form part of an honours project in 2010. Such a system would have the potential to meet the entire school’s water needs and provide savings of between ten and fifteen thousand dollars per year. |
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Overall the trip was extremely successful exceeding expectations in terms of direct impact for the school and experience gained for the engineering students involved. EWBNZ hope to be able to offer further projects in the future to allow engineering students to gain valuable real world project experience while assisting both our local communities and Pacific neighbours. See also the University of Auckland Chapter’s project that was run at Tonga College on the main island of Tonga, Tongatapu. |
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EWBNZ Canterbury would not have been able to carry this project at Vava’u High School out without the kind support of many individuals, businesses and organisations.
Monetary Sponsors |
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$5,000-$9,999 |
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$2,000-$4,999 |
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$0-$1,999 |
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In-Kind Supporters |
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Flights, freight, and additional baggage |
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Flights and accommodation for project mentors
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Protection equipment
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| Vava’u High School | Accommodation and warm hospitality |
| Tongan Ministry of Education | Transport and help in Tonga |
| Uata Shipping Line | Freight and discounted passage |
| University of Canterbury Health Centre | Discounted vaccinations |
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Australian Navy |
Anti-corrosion gunk |
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Waiver on administration fee |
Solar Power System Equipment Providers |
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Solar Panels
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Inverter and Mounting System
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Electrical Fittings |
Solar Cable |
Professional Advice Provided by
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| James Palmer |  |
| Julian Martel | |
| Hamish Littin |  |
| Hadleigh Jones |  |
| David Bonniface |  |
| Ken Smart | Electrical Engineering Department |
For further information please contact us:
Sam Davies: sam.davies@ewb.org.nz
Rob Cardwell: rob.cardwell@ewb.org.nz
| Attachment | Size |
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| Canterbury_Project_image3.png | 638.89 KB |
| Canterbury_Project_image4.png | 480.43 KB |
| Canterbury_Project_image5.png | 356.74 KB |
| Canterbury_Project_image6.png | 390.15 KB |
