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Pilot combines clean energy equipment with smart grid solutions and low-carbon centers

Thanks to the on-site energy storage project, an elementary school in Oxfordshire can pave the way for greater sustainability and cost savings in schools across the country.

The trial united Smarter Grid Solutions, a clean energy organization, and Low Carbon Hub, a community energy pioneer organization, to explore how local communities can take full advantage of the green transition.

Rose Hill Elementary School is part of the River Learning Trust in Oxfordshire and is participating in this experiment that may bring broad benefits to the education sector.

First, a battery was installed on site to store the excess energy generated by the school’s solar panels so that the school can use clean energy on cloudy days or at night.

Secondly, it is connected to the high-tech management platform of the Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) to monitor and manage the electricity generated and stored by the school.

This technology is most commonly used to monitor the output of large wind farms or solar photovoltaic farms.

The trial is testing how to use such technologies on a smaller scale so that local organizations can reap the benefits of renewable resources and the green energy transition.

This is one of several initiatives that together constitute the LEO project (Oxfordshire Local Energy Project), one of the most ambitious and innovative energy experiments in the UK.

The school’s solar panels were installed by the Low Carbon Center in 2016, but the extra electricity generated during school holidays or during sunny days of the year was never captured. The panel can generate up to 28kW of power.

The school saves hundreds of pounds in electricity bills every year, of which about 30% of the electricity is provided by panels. 

The new battery has a storage capacity of up to 50 kWh, which is enough to power the school for 12 hours, so you can save even more even when there is no sun. Any excess solar energy that cannot be captured can be sold to the grid. This generates additional income, which the low-carbon center will give back to local community projects, such as grants for community buildings and schools, energy audits, and free practical support for low-carbon community groups. 

The goal of the trial is to provide real-time monitoring and control of renewable resources and batteries, and to explore the potential of community organizations, schools, businesses, homes and other local buildings to generate and manage their own electricity and participate in grid flexibility services.

The Low Carbon Center owns renewable resources installed in Rose Hill, and the center serves as a testbed to understand how similar programs can reduce bills and measure carbon savings for local energy users, while generating income for the community.

Professional software developed by energy technology company Smarter Grid Solutions has been deployed to monitor and manage photovoltaics and batteries.

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