Enphase Energy Supplies School in Jamaica Power from the sun.

Jamaicans pay some of the highest electricity prices in the world, about $0.40 USD per kWh. Searching for energy independence, Immaculate Conception High School called on Enphase to be its solar solution.

Customized System Size School fundraisers and student competitions brought in enough money for a small PV system at Immaculate Conception, an all-girls Catholic high school in Kingston, Jamaica. The system wouldn’t cover all of the school’s energy needs, which made it all the more important to get the most bang for the buck.

Immaculate Conception started planning the project with one installer, but Jamaican alternative energy provider Green Energy Savings stepped in with a microinverter solution that the school could not ignore.

“Systems with Enphase technology have greater energy production and more advanced monitoring capabilities than any other system on the market. Immaculate Conception without a doubt made the right choice,” said Peter Shoucair J.P., managing director at Green Energy Savings.

Attaching directly to the underside of each panel, Enphase microinverters also eliminate the need for a large inverter box on the wall and its associated fire safety risks.

Build As You Go With only enough funding for a 12 kW system, Immaculate Conception is already planning for future expansion. The plug- and-play feature of Enphase technology will allow Green Energy Savings to scale up at any time, using the solar panels of their choice.

“Enphase gives Immaculate Conception the freedom to start small but grow at the rate that’s right for them,” said Shoucair J.P. “Some people believe you can do that with string inverters, but you really can’t. You’d need to have at least 2 kW, but with Enphase you can start with 215 W.”

Time Is Money Installation time is important to installers, because the longer they’re up on the roof, the more money they’re spending on labor costs. The same goes for materials costs. That’s why Enphase microinverters are specifically designed to reduce installation time and cut material costs without compromising quality. The result: reliable technology easy enough to install that enthusiastic volunteers can join in on the project.

In fact, that’s exactly what happened at Immaculate Conception. Eight students teamed up with Green Energy Savings to install the system panel by panel.

“After a little basic training, the Enphase System is easy to install. We also didn’t have to worry about DC wiring, so it was safe for the girls to handle,” said Shoucair J.P.

When working with Enphase, installers experience a better application with less downtime, all with the ability to monitor and do post-installation troubleshooting online. Enlighten monitoring sends simple production reports straight to the principal’s computer or smartphone, which she can share with teachers and parents to show them the production value of the system.

INSTALLATION SUMMARY Client: Immaculate Conception High School Location: Kingston, Jamaica Installer: Green Energy Savings System Size: 12kW Microinverters: Enphase M215 Modules: Hyundai