A new 101 kW solar project at a special needs school in Brackenfell will cover nearly half of the school’s energy needs for the next 20 years, allowing the school to reinvest those savings into helping more learners.

The solar project at Paarl School was primarily funded by a German non-profit CapeTopia, and facilitated by the leading energy storage solutions developer Sun Exchange.

Via a Sun Exchange Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and with the R782,000 donation from Capetopia, Paarl School will pay a per kilowatt-hour rate for solar power that’s nearly 75% lower than the utility rate in the first year alone.

Savings are expected to grow as utility tariffs continue to rise. Additionally, any excess energy from the solar project that the school does not use, will be exported back to the grid.

The solar project also enables the school to mitigate its climate impact. The project is expected to generate more than 2,700 MWh of clean energy over the 20-year lease period, avoiding approximately 2,800 tonnes of carbon emissions. That’s equivalent to eliminating more than 1,400 tonnes of burning coal.

School Governing Body chairperson for Paarl Skool Garth Hewitt says the project means a lot to them and the learners.

“Paarl School serves as a resource centre and model for our surrounding community. With our new solar project, we’re proud to showcase how a school can take steps to create a brighter and more sustainable world for future generations. We are grateful to Capetopia for their generous donation and pleased to have Sun Exchange as an enabling partner to make the solar project possible.”

The Founder of CapeTopia, Jessica Bönn, says she wanted to raise funds to give back to the community, after a three-year stint working in Cape Town.

Realising the societal inequalities many South Africans face, she founded CapeTopia on her return to Germany.

“Capetopia envisions a future where sustainability, social equality and security are accessible to everyone in Cape Town. The Paarl School solar project benefits the school, its learners, the community and the planet, bringing us one step closer to making our vision a reality. We are proud to contribute to making this project possible and look forward to more projects in the future.”

The CEO of Sun Exchange, Saul Wainwright, says they offer a Risk-Free Solar offering, allowing mid-size organizations across South Africa to enjoy the full benefits of solar power without the associated risks or hassles.

Through a fully funded Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), solar systems are deployed with no capital investment required from the end user.

“At Sun Exchange, we aim to make the transition to solar seamless and rewarding for our customers. Institutions like Paarl School should be able to focus time and resources on their core mission of serving learners and the broader community, rather than worrying about energy costs, security and project logistics.”

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Sun Exchange, founded in 2015, has already enabled simple, affordable and reliable clean energy for more than 100 organisations across South Africa.

Its solar projects have generated more than 30 gigawatt-hours of energy, saving millions of Rands in energy costs and avoiding more than 30,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from going into the atmosphere.

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