Nanjing school builds 450-kW rooftop solar plant

Photovoltaic modules are installed on the rooftops of Nanjing Foreign Language School Xianlin Campus in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Eight hundred dark-blue photovoltaic modules line the cafeteria and gymnasium roofs at Nanjing Foreign Language School Xianlin Campus, which serves more than 7,800 students and 900 teachers.

The distributed solar project has a total installed capacity of 450 kW and was connected to the grid before the term began on Sept 1. It uses idle roof space without occupying teaching land. Under a self-generation, self-consumption, surplus-to-grid model, the electricity generated is used on campus first, with extra power fed into the grid.

State Grid Nanjing Power Supply Company opened a green channel for the school, helping revise cable routes and module layouts, adding photovoltaic room locations, and simplifying approvals. Grid connection was completed in just three working days, at least a week earlier than planned.

In good sunlight, the system can generate 450 kWh per hour. With about six hours of sunlight a day, it produces roughly 2,000 kWh daily and about 150,000 kWh per month. The power is used for teaching facilities, the cafeteria and dormitories, helping the school cut its monthly electricity costs by 12 percent.

Cheng Yaqing, vice principal of the school, said the system not only provides green energy while reducing costs, but also serves as a real-life classroom for low-carbon education.

After visiting the installation, students brought their observations back to the classroom, gaining a deeper understanding of low-carbon living, environmental protection, and green development.