Top Solar Projects of the Week (Nov. 14 – Nov. 18)

Adhesives company shows solar commitment with display panel

The 30 kW solar installation created by Velo Solar on the roof of Chemique Adhesives in Kennesaw, Ga., has begun operation. The array sits atop the North American headquarters of Chemique Adhesives, a company with revenues of about $17.5 million per year and customers throughout Europe, the Middle East and North America. Chemique, based in the U.K., makes industrial adhesives, sealants and adhesive application equipment.

The solar installation designed and built by Atlanta-based Velo Solar will reduce Chemique’s CO2 emissions by 30.6 tons annually, the equivalent of planting 784 trees.

In addition to the solar panels on the roof, the system installed by Velo Solar at Chemique Adhesives in Kennesaw includes a display panel in the lobby that will show the real-time output of the solar resource through the proprietary PowerEnfo analytical platform. Developed by Velo Solar’s parent company, PowerEnfo provides a constant information stream on energy consumption to facilitate effective energy management. It tracks asset performance and issues alerts on unusual events to keep them from becoming costly.

New York auto dealer adds rooftop, carport

Yonkers, NY-based auto dealer Smith Cairns Ford Lincoln Mazda Subaru is turning to solar to save on its energy bills. Working with leading solar energy company, Standard Solar, the dealer installed a 1,272 panel, 394 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system. In addition to the 253kW array on its rooftop, the system also features two solar carports totaling 141 kW. The system was completed in October.

The rooftop and carport arrays, expected to produce approximately 472,000 kilowatt-hours of power per year, cover 100 percent of the dealer’s energy needs. The V-shaped carport arrays are rain and snow-proof, protecting the dealership’s auto inventory and providing a clean and dry environment for prospective buyers. The project also includes an electric vehicle (EV) charging station to support its EV inventory and EV customers.

Cool solar+storage microgrid solution gets up and running

Pure Power Solutions has completed a plug-and-play approach to solar+storage microgrids for remote locations with a system using standard shipping containers and energy dense, non-toxic battery technology from SimpliPhi Power. The first system is now operational at Vacherie Ranch, a 450-acre agricultural and recreational retreat located in Western Sonoma County, Calif.

Get all the details and look at a bunch of photos here.

Solect’s latest commercial install in New England

North Atlantic Corp (NAC), one of the largest millwork distributors and custom manufacturer of windows, doors, kitchens and stairs to the residential and commercial markets in New England, has partnered with Solect Energy of Hopkinton, Mass., to install a 1551 kilowatt (kW) solar energy system on the roof of its Somerset location. The solar array is projected to cover 90% of North Atlantic Corp’s annual electricity bill and will contribute to substantial savings on the company’s energy expenditures.

The installation comes at a particularly important time in NAC’s development, as their energy demands were expected to rise steeply with the completion of a 45,000 sq. ft. addition to their manufacturing facility. Now, they expect to see solar offset that increase dramatically.

EnterSolar to develop ground-mount for insurance giant

EnterSolar, a provider of solar photovoltaic solutions to the commercial marketplace, has been selected by Swiss Re to develop a 2-MW ground mounted solar system for the wholesale provider of reinsurance, insurance and other insurance-based forms of risk transfer. Construction will begin this fall with expected completion in the spring of 2017.

The system is designed to offset 60% of the power utilized by the Armonk campus, and will provide significant environmental benefits to the Westchester County community.

Idaho’s new community solar push

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is approving an Idaho Power application to build a 500-kilowatt community solar project in southeast Boise. The $1.16 million single-axis solar project on the southwest corner of Amity and Holcomb roads will allow up to 1,093 residential customers and 470 non-residential customers to buy one or more subscriptions (one subscription is a 320-watt panel) for the solar farm’s anticipated 25- year life.

Get the inside scoop here.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: http://solarbuildermag.com/news/top-solar-pv-projects-of-the-week/]