(EnergyAsia, June 10, Wednesday) — Taiwan’s Delta Group said it recently held a foundation laying ceremony for a solar-powered primary school in China’s earthquake-struck Sichuan province. Yang Jiazhen Delta Sunshine, the first solar-powered primary school built after the deadly earthquake struck last year, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.
When completed, the school will accommodate 800 students.

The design of the eco-friendly school emphasises energy efficiency and low emissions, and combines architectural techniques and solar power to reduce carbon emissions. Thermal buffers were installed on the roofs of the classrooms, offices and dormitories to improve insulation performance.

Compound walls were used for the building facades to keep students warm in the winter and cool in the summer. North-facing skylights improve ventilation for top-level rooms so they won’t feel hot in the summer.

The cafeteria and bathrooms use a central solar-powered hot water system to provide boarding students and school workers with hot and boiled water.

The proposal for the school won the 2009 Delta Cup International Solar Building Design Competition.

At the competition award ceremony, the winner, Ms Hui Liu, said: “It will be exciting to see my design go from paper to an actual eco-friendly and energy-efficient primary school.”

Her winning entry not only emphasises green design principles but also combines architectural techniques with solar energy applications. It is the first design from the competition to be used for a real-world application. The award ceremony of the competition was held on June 1.

Bruce Cheng, founder and chairman of Delta Group, Ulysses Wang, China chief representative of Delta Environmental & Education Foundation and Shi Dinghuan, counsellor of China’s State Council and the chairperson of the Chinese Renewable Energy Society, attended the ceremony.

Mr Cheng, Delta’s founding chairman, said: “On the eve of World Environment Day, we must think carefully about how human activities are contributing to global warming and climate change. Supporting green architecture, clean energy and solar power applications lets us work smart to protect the planet and our future generations.

“We really hope that we can build an environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient sunshine school for the teachers and students of Yang Jiazhen primary school. This is the hope of everyone at Delta Group and the meaning behind the school.”

The Minister of Special Committee of Solar Buildings, Chinese Renewable Energy Society, Zhong Jishou, said:

“The design improves the air circulation without costing more money. In fact, it saves money. By adjusting the location of the windows, how the windows open and the arrangement of interior spaces, we can create natural ventilation routes that improve the air circulation.”

Delta Group is the world’s largest provider of switching power supplies and DC brushless fans. It also provides power management solutions, components, visual displays, industrial automation, networking products, and renewable energy solutions.

Delta Group has sales offices worldwide and manufacturing plants in Taiwan, China, Thailand, Mexico, India and Europe.