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Case Studies

Worcester State College

System:
105.3 kW Grid-Tied PV System

Overview:
Worcester State College has joined the green revolution. WSC has a commitment to sustainability and has incorporated many upgrades and improvements into their overall sustainability plan, including the purchase of a biodiesel processor, conservation efforts and increased recycling. Another big part of their plan was installing a 105.3 kW solar array on their Learning Resource Center. The system was funded by IRS Clean Renewable Energy Bonds and a grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The photovoltaic array will generate over 140,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which is enough energy to supply electricity to 20 homes of about 2,800 square feet each.
The 540-panel installation was completed by groSolar in only three weeks while school was in session. It is the largest solar array on any college campus in Massachusetts and the largest in the city of Worcester.

105.3 kW Array at Worcester State College
105.3 kW Array at Worcester State College

System Components:
540 Evergreen ES-195 Modules
1 Satcon 100 kW Inverter
SolarDock Racking @ 25°

 

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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

System:
100.1 kW Grid-Tied PV System

Overview:
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is helping to keep the Green Mountains green with a 100.1 kW solar array. This array becomes the largest photovoltaic array in the state of Vermont and was made possible through an innovative partnership between Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the state of Vermont, Green Mountain Power and groSolar. groSolar CEO Jeff Wolfe says Vermont’s tax incentives for commercial solar systems, coupled with grants from the Vermont Department of Public Service’s Clean Energy Development Fund and Green Mountain Power, made the economies of a commercial system very attractive.
groSolar installed the system at GMCR’s Waterbury, VT headquarters using the PanelClaw flat roof mounting system. Although this system will produce only a small portion of the total electricity used by Green Mountain Coffee, it provides a look into what is possible for the future of energy.

100.1 kW Array at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
100.1 kW Array at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

System Components:
572 Suntech 175 Modules
1 Solectria 95 kW Inverter
PanelClaw Polar Bear Flat Roof Mounting System

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Fenway Park

System      
Solar Hot Water (SHW)

Overview
groSolar installed a SHW system in April of 2008. This system is tied to Fenway’s existing water system. The solar-heated water will supply the park and the restaurants on the lower levels of Fenway. “We are honored to assist Fenway and the City of Boston in their drive and determination to ‘turn Bean Town into Green Town’, as Mayor Menino so eloquently puts it.” says groSolar’s Marketing Director, Kelli Pippin. “Solar is our forte and it’s also the cleanest, greenest weapon we know of in the fight against global warming.

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Photo courtesy of The Boston Red Sox


System Components
28 Heliodyne Gobi Collectors
4 400-gallon storage tanks


 


 

Mariani Packing, Vacaville, CA

System
1.1 MW single axis, ground mount solar electric system

Overview
Mariani Packing Company wanted to install a solar electric system at their Vacaville, CA packing facility because it was fiscally sound and environmentally responsible. More importantly, it supported the company's values of continuous improvement and building for the future. SunEdison financed the system and will operate and maintain it.  SunEdison partnered with groSolar and Integrated Energy Systems who engineered and constructed the system in approximately 90 days. The system cost nothing to Mariani who, under a solar power services agreement (SPSA), purchases their solar electricity at long-term predictable rates euqal to or less than retail energy rates.

The 1.1 MW system sits on 7 acres of land owned by Mariani and will supply about 23% of the facility's electricity. Over 20 years it will produce enough energy to power 3,230 average U.S. homes for a year and offset more than 30.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide (equivalent to taking 2,972 cars off the road for a year).

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1.1 mW Vacaville, CA

Credit: Aerial & Terrestrial Photos; Courtesy of SunEdison
Credit: Aerial & Terrestrial Photos
Courtesy of SunEdison

System Components
5,800 Evergreen ES-190 solar panels
4 SMA Sunny Central Inverters
SunSeeker Single-Axis Tracker Mounting System

 


 

Winn Development

 

System
821.5 kW grid-tied roof mount system at 7 different locations

Overview
Winn Development was looking to stabilize their utility costs and save energy for a number of their low income and senior housing communities throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.  They came to groSolar with a very aggressive project deadline that needed to be met in order to obtain optimal financing.  821 kW as a whole is a large project but even larger when each individual property location (7 total) contains multiple systems (over 30). Winn not only had time restrictions but many of the locations were historic and needed to preserve the unique look of the building. groSolar was able to work quicky and efficiently to both meet Winn's timeline and keep the historic aesthetics of the buildings. 

Check out the actual power being produced at Mill Pond Village, one of the seven locations.

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Winn Development: Rolling Ridge

 

Winn Development: Sunset Ridge

Components
2,815 Evergreen ES-190 panels
1,470 Evergreen ES-195 panels
3 Solectria 82kW Inverters
1 Solectria 60 kW Inverter
15 SMA SunnyBoy 5000
56 SMA SunnyBoy 7000
UniRac Solar Mount
SolarDock ballasted flat roof mounting system

 

Soquel High School, Soquel, CA

 

System
315kW roof mount PV system

Overview
Soquel High School, a public high school serving 1200 students in Soquel, CA, had two main motivations for using the sun for electricity. First, financial incentives in California allowed the school to save money immediately. Second, going green was in line with the mission of the school to encourage students to responsibly contribute to society. The school set an example of social responsibility and was able to show the economic and environmental impacts of solar power. The solar array at Soquel High School is the largest solar PV project in Santa Cruz county and one of the largest school projects in California. The system is expected to produce approximately 40% of the school's electricity.

For students and teachers the solar installation offers a hands on learning experience in social, economic and environmental responsibility. Check out the actual power being produced by this system here.

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Soquel High School
Soquel High School

System Components
1800 Suntech solar panels
1 Solectria 82kW Inverter
2 Solectria 60kW Inverters
10 SMA SunnyBoy Inverters
UniRac Solar Mount


Living Future

System
Solar Hot Water (SHW)
Photovoltaics (PV)
High Performance Design

Overview
Teal Farm LogoTeal Farm is a project of LivingFuture, a non-profit foundation and project collaborative whose mission is to create conditions perpetually conducive to life, and to expand human creative capacity.  The primary design goal for the Teal Farm buildings is to mimic and mesh with the living systems that surround them, essentially transforming the built environment into a living system including making its own energy from the sun.  The "Energy Barn" houses all of the components of the renewable energy system, including solar thermal tubing (SHW), photovoltaic panels (PV), hot water tanks, a battery bank, biodiesel backup generator and wood gasification boilers.    

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System Components
15.12kW utility tied PV system
6 SunnyBoy inverters
(6) 600 gallon storage tanks