October 2012 - Trademax Publications

NEWSInclusionary processes employed at VeleSecondary School:Passive Low Energy Design (PLED)techniques include:• Gather accurate climate data through the early installation of adigital weather station on site• Optimal solar orientation of all occupied spaces• Appropriate insulation built into floors, walls and roofs• Natural ventilation techniques for summer and winter• Natural lighting with particular emphasis on light shelves, rooflights and window placementRenewable Energy SystemAn Eskom donation financed the installation of a 50m² solarphotovoltaic array, which provides electricity for the ITinfrastructure and the borehole water pumping at the school. Itwas made clear from the outset that renewable energy sources arenot free and that the inverters, batteries and panels requireregular maintenance and periodic replacement. The valuablephotovoltaic panels are securely fixed onto a north-facing, secondfloor roof and for security reasons are not visible from the road.Energy Monitoring“You can’t control what you can’t measure.” Tom De MarcoAn energy monitoring system has been installed to createawareness about energy consumption and to help the schoolreduce electrical energy costs.The system works by:• Informing when and where electricity is used. The school canthen control and conserve electricity use.• Showing how much this electricity costs the school in real randterms, carbon footprint and in comparison to previous months.• Educating learners about the importance of saving electricity.6OCTOBER 2012