A
combination of a Proven Energy 6 Kw wind turbine and a 2 Kw array of solar
energy panels (Photo Voltaic) provide the electricity generation. This
electricity is captured and stored in a bank of energy storage cells (off
grid). The energy storage cells have been designed to store enough electricity
to run up to 30 workstations for 4 days at 8 hours per day, without any
further natural energy generation.
The ICT network design embraces the enormous advances made in
recent years by utilising a Linux Terminal Server on a thin client network
with
terminals (workstations). The server has a full suite of Office, Multi-media
and Graphics applications installed.
A specially designed cylindrical pod houses the workstations,
monitors and a laser keyboard. The ‘E-Green ICT’ pod uses about 15% of
the power of an equivalent 5 workstation set-up reducing carbon footprint
to Zero. The design also incorporates some clever features that encourage
the pupils to embrace sustainable renewable energy concepts. There is
a facility that allows children and teachers to recharge small electronic
devices such as mobile phones, ipods and laptops entirely independent
of National grid supply. A series of electronic pulse meters installed on both the
energy generation side (upstream) and the consumption side (downstream)
capture the power flow and a data logger stores the information on a
server every minute. This data is available from the server for teachers
to extract and embed real time readings into their lessons such as Citizenship,
Maths, Geography and Sciences. In addition to that, the live data can
also be displayed on monitors i.e. a plasma screen in reception, giving
viewers instant access to current information. The weather station information can also be displayed in the
same way, which stimulates conversation and encourages subliminal cognitive
dissection of comparable data related to climatic conditions with natural
power generation and consumption. Additional benefits of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy
infrastructure emerge during times of inactivity within the school, ie
school holidays; the infrastructure continues to generate electricity.
Through agreement with the electricity supplier a meter can installed
that records excess electricity which the supplier buys back further
reducing the schools electricity bills.
Monitoring of the ‘e-green ICT’ concept will
continue throughout the year.
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