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Category: Installations

SUNWIZE DEALER USES UNIRAC PRODUCTS TO HELP LOW-INCOME HOUSING COMPLEX SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY

Henry Dykema of Sundance Solar Systems, a SunWize dealer located in Red Lodge, Montana, installed a unique solar energy system at the Silver Bow Village, a HUD low-income apartment complex in Butte, Montana. The system will produce approximately 5,000 kWh of energy each month, saving money for both the apartment complex’s development company and its residents.

Silver Bow Village features multiple buildings located around a central parking lot. Each of the 60 residential units has its own electrical meter, although the total facility’s utility bill is currently paid by the owner.  GMD Development Company of Seattle, WA in partnership with Homeword of Missoula, MT recently purchased the complex and decided to renovate it in the hopes of reducing energy costs.  In addition to the solar energy installation, units were updated with additional insulation and Energy Star™ appliances.

“We decided to install solar systems at the Silver Bow for several reasons.  First, the availability of energy tax credits, housing tax credits and local utility grants, reduced the upfront cost of the system significantly. In addition, the ongoing electrical savings can also be leveraged for the increased supportable debt for the property.  Aside from the pure economic reasons, these systems are a source of renewable and sustainable energy and are consistent with our company’s goal of providing sustainable housing.  Lastly, the onsite generation reduces the future exposure of the property to energy price increase” said Greg Dunfield, GMD’s principle partner.

Henry Dykema, owner and operator of Sundance Solar Systems, an independent solar-PV installation Company, received the contract for the 40kW PV installation in October. The installation presented Dykema with some challenges that he was able to effectively answer with the help of UNIRAC®, an industry-leading provider of technology and product solutions designed to meet the needs of virtually any solar installation. “I’ve used UNIRAC for years, and I’ve gained a lot of experience using UNIRAC products,” Dykema said. “I keep a significant amount of UNIRAC product in my warehouse, it makes sense for me to use it on my projects whenever possible. However, accessibility isn’t the primary reason I use UNIRAC. I use it because it provides the flexibility I need, particularly on a project like Silver Bow Village.”

Because of the multiple buildings at Silver Bow each with unique and varying rooflines, angles, and venting, Dykema had to build a customized mounting system on multiple roofs using UNIRAC’s SOLARMOUNT™ universal photovoltaic (PV) rail mounting system. “With SOLARMOUNT, it was easy to build a customized mounting system for the array and all the necessary grounding equipment,” Dykema said. “The hardware I used to install it was an easy fit with UNIRAC’s materials.”

While it’s common to replace a building’s roof during a solar installation, this Silver Bow Village building’s roof consisted of asphalt shingles that were in good condition, making replacement unnecessary. However, installing a solar array on an existing roof requires care to ensure that the roof is not compromised. Taking this into account, Dykema included UNIRAC’s Flat Flashing when designing the customized SOLARMOUNT system. “The flat flashing helps ensure that any holes we drill to attach the solar array to the roof will not leak after installation,” Dykema explained. “We ran the SOLARMOUNT rails over Unirac’s ‘L-feet’ which are lagged through the flashing which further protects against moisture intrusion.”

The system is comprised of 158 Samsung 255-watt monocrystalline modules, 2 Fronius 11.5 kW, 1 Fronius 7.5 kW, and 3 Fronius 3 kW inverters.  As a multi-unit apartment complex, Silver Bow Village doesn’t operate on a single meter; thus, the system had to be designed to decrease the energy load on a common area of the complex—in this case, a laundry room as well as three individual apartments.

Under the Montana net-metering law “NorthWestern Energy gives customers credit against their usage through a meter capable of calculating energy flow in two directions” Dykema explained. “This credit continues month to month but does not accumulate after a year”. The separate apartment units don’t use enough energy to warrant designing the system to run through one of them—Silver Bow Village would have lost most of their energy credits at the beginning of each year. Therefore, Dykema designed one 32 kW subsystem that feeds the meter within the south building’s laundry room which has a large electric load due to the laundry facility, and three 3 kW systems that each feed an individual apartment.

Dykema estimates the system will provide Silver Bow Village with approximately 5,000 kW per month, which translates to a savings of roughly $500 in energy per month or $6,000 per year based on Northwestern Energy’s current rates.  “While our residents may not see those particular energy savings directly reflected in their individual electric bills, Silver Bow Village is able to lower energy expenses incurred by the apartment complex as a whole,” Dunfield said.

Because Silver Bow Village is a HUD facility designated for low-income families and individuals, Dykema was also able to help Homeword and GMD Development obtain incentives through the Universal Systems Benefits program of Northwestern Energy that could be applied to the total system cost.

“Once you add the utility and tax incentives, the payback on the system becomes very reasonable,” Dykema said. “The UNIRAC mounting system, the inverter and the modules should last for quite some time, making it possible for the property owners and residents to enjoy the benefits of renewable energy for many years to come in addition to reducing energy related CO2 in the atmosphere.  As an added bonus, NorthWestern Energy may receive renewable energy credits from the clean energy produced by Silver Bow’s installation helping it comply with the Montana Renewable Energy Standard (RES). This project really demonstrates the wide-reaching, positive effects that a sustainable energy system can provide.”

SunWize installed a 120 kW photovoltaic system at the Zion National Park Service Maintenance Complex in Death Valley, CA

SunWize has designed and managed installation projects of various types and sizes. Many of these projects have been in remote or difficult locations, and under extreme conditions. Due to the various environments, SunWize works with trusted brands that best fit the needs of the project. The 120 kW photovoltaic system, at the Zion National Park Service Maintenance Complex in Death Valley, CA was completed in 2011. To combat the extreme temperatures during the day, SunWize Project Managers implemented a construction plan that included night shifts for worker’s health and safety. There are four separate roof mounted system installed which consists of a 61.8 kW array at the Maintenance Building; a 21.5 kW system at the Administration Building; a 7.39 kW array at the International Building, and a 29.7 kW array at the Curatorial Building. The Sharp 224 watt modules were attached to the sub-arrays using the ProSolar RoofTrac rails attached to S-5! CorruBrackets.  The system is connected to Fronius inverters and is monitored by SolarMagic. SunWize project managers chose the Fronius inverters for a number of reasons. First, it was the most cost effective given the electrical scope. Second, the project called for multiple orientations and the Fronius inverters were the best one for the job. Finally, using a brand with over 50 years of experience left the SunWize project manager at ease. SunWize was the prime contractor for this installation; providing the total turnkey system solution.

American Samoa Power Authority reduces dependence on diesel-powered generators with new Sunwize solar installation

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SunWize Technologies completes island’s largest solar installation and generates 50 local jobs

SunWize recently completed the largest solar installation in the United States Territory of American Samoa in the South Pacific. The 1.75-MW installation, located in Tafuna, Pago Pago, is capable of providing the island’s 55,519 residents with 2,645,360 kWh of electricity per year.

Backed by the United States Department of Energy and the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA), the new solar electric system took over five and a half months to install.  The installation marks a new beginning for the ASPA and the people it serves.

“Until now, we were completely dependent on diesel generators for all of our electrical power,” said Andra Samoa, ASPA CEO.  “Our new SunWize solar installation will help alleviate that dependency by providing a much-needed green energy resource.  We hope to obtain additional grant funding to install more of these clean, renewable energy sources in the near future.”

The ASPA’s new fixed ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system consists of 7,308 Sharp 240-watt modules and AE PowerStation inverters—the largest system of its kind anywhere in the South Pacific.  Because land is at a premium in American Samoa, the ASPA secured a 3.93-acre site near the island’s airport runway for the installation, reserving two additional acres as an overflow site for future growth.  SunWize managed the installation’s engineering and construction and also helped the ASPA obtain all the necessary permits, taking the project from concept to reality. With only two flights in and out of American Samoa each week and shipments by boat from the United States requiring three weeks in transit, SunWize executives and project managers faced significant logistics issues.

“American Samoa’s location made this particular project uniquely challenging,” said Paul Garvison, Senior Vice President, Projects at SunWize.  “Even the most basic components we needed for this project were not available on the island, and air-freight is costly. However, we created and adhered to a very strict schedule and developed strategic relationships that helped us meet our goals.”

The ASPA project faced other challenges in addition to the island’s remote location.  Since the installation site is located a mere 1,100 feet from the ocean, SunWize had to engineer a custom, hot-dip galvanized racking system to withstand the extremely corrosive ocean air.  The potential for 150-mile-per-hour typhoon-force winds required SunWize to secure its racking system with special wind-resistant footings that could be installed amidst the island’s volcanic rock soil and with limited concrete resources.   SunWize hired a number of local subcontractors, employing 50 Samoans, to assist with the installation.

Despite having to manage a number of complex situations, Garvison and the SunWize team knew that the project’s eventual results would be exceedingly positive.  American Samoa’s location near the equator receives over 1,000 watts per square meter of energy at peak hours of the day, an amount that’s ideal for solar.  The estimated PV System electricity production of 2.6 million kWh/year will offset the ASPA’s diesel consumption by more than 175,000 gallons and avoid releasing 3.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Governor Tulafono supported this landmark project from inception to completion, recognizing its many environmental and socio-economic benefits.  “Our new solar installation is an important step toward decreasing American Samoa’s dependence on fossil fuel, including improving energy efficiency and developing strategic renewable energy resources,” Governor Tulafono said.  “The environmental benefits are significant, and the positive impact that the system will have on our island’s residents will be enjoyed for many years to come.  I have no doubt that, by combining hard work and determination, we will be able to secure funding for future sustainable energy solutions that will further improve the quality of life that American Samoa has to offer.”

Big growth in renewable energy expected over next 5 years

According to a new report, the use of renewable energy between this year and 2017 will grow by about 300 percent.

Those interested in receiving solar PV training should consider receiving solar energy certification soon, as a new report predicts big changes in the renewable energy industry over the next five years. According to Pike Research, the use of renewable energy between this year and 2017 will grow by about 300 percent.

In particular, the report said the greatest increase in renewable energy use will come from solar power. During the next five years, the world will add a combined solar energy capacity of 210 gigawatts, Environmental Leader reported.

“The global electric power industry is evolving from a financial and engineering model that relies on large centralized power plants owned by the utilities to one that is more diverse – both in sources of generation and ownership of the generation assets,” Pike Research reported.

Helping to make solar PV systems an increasingly popular energy option is the falling costs of solar panels. Environmental Leader reported that the price of photovoltaic panels went from $4 per watt in 2006 to $1 per watt last year.

According to Pike, North America will be one of the biggest markets for renewable energy, along with European and Asian Pacific countries.

“Worldwide, utility companies and policy makers are testing programs and business models to support this industry,” according to Pike.

Bull market for solar real estate

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While the housing market may not be what it used to, one author thinks now is the time to buy real estate for solar development.

Dana Blankenhorn, in a July 27 article for TheStreet, argued that now is one of the best times to invest in land for solar project development.

"Despite low natural gas prices, solar real estate is hot right now," he wrote.

The key to making such an investment worthwhile is a power purchase agreement. The steady stream of revenue a utility company can offer from a ppa makes solar energy a worthwhile investment.

In addition, in states such as New Jersey and California, power companies will pay for credits earned from solar electricity output, in order to meet state-mandated clean energy guidelines. Considering that New Jersey on July 23 passed a law boosting renewable energy benchmarks and creating more stable prices for credits, Blankenhorn argued that solar power remains a worthwhile investment.

Blankenhorn also pointed out two key recent developments in western states as signs that now is a good time to invest in solar power real estate. For one, the Interior Department on July 24 announced that about 285,000 acres of public land would be set aside for large-scale solar energy developments. The DOI has already cleared the land for development, minimizing the pre-construction steps a solar project developer would normally have to conduct.

Also, California's utility companies have recently announced plans to boost solar energy output fed into the main electric grid. On July 25, utility Pacific Gas and Electric said it hopes to have solar power account for 40 percent of its renewable energy output by 2020. Southern California Edison also wants to get to 40 percent by then, and San Diego Gas and Electric said it is aiming to have a third of its renewable energy come from solar by 2016, the San Jose Mercury News reported. 


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