SunWize designed a fixed ground mounted PV system for the American Samoa Power Authority consisting of 7,308 Sharp 240-watt modules and AE PowerStation inverters. American Samoa’s location near the equator receives over 1000 watts per square meter at peak hours of the day, an amount that’s ideal for solar. SunWize Project Managers developed a tight schedule and created strategic relationships on the island to ensure materials arrived on the island in time to meet critical project milestones. To combat corrosion, SunWize engineered a custom hot dip galvanized racking system and used epoxy painted inverter enclosures. A footing system was engineered that balances difficult drilling conditions and limited concrete resources while meeting the typhoon wind conditions. SunWize also hired a number of local subcontractors, employing 50 Samoans to assist with a variety of tasks.
The estimated PV System production of 2.6 million kWh/year will offset ASPA’s diesel consumption by more than 175,000 gallons and avoid releasing 3.9 million pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. The American Samoa Power Authority hopes to obtain more grant funding from the United States Department of Energy to install additional sustainable energy systems in the near future. Read the full press release
Happy Solstice – How will your solar electric power systems work on the darkest day of the year?
In the Northern Hemisphere, our winter solstice occurs when the axial tilt of earth is farthest away form the sun. It is our shortest day and longest night of the year, when the sun’s daily maximum elevation in the sky is the lowest. Designing and sizing an off-grid power system for your shortest day and worst case weather is a best practice to insure reliable power year round.