One of Alabama’s largest private solar installations going live today

Alabama-based Life Data Labs, an animal nutrition and health products manufacturer, has completed work on one of the state’s largest private solar installations, powering all of their manufacturing facility mainly with solar energy. They are celebrating a “Generation Day” March 23 at 12 p.m., where company executives, company employees and state employees as well as other dignitaries will witness a “flipping of the switch” from electric power to generating their first kilowatt hour of solar power.

alabama solar installationSain Engineering Associates Inc. (SEA) served as contractor for the large solar installation. SEA President and COO Brenda Phillips noted the congruence of the venture, stating, “This project with Life Data Labs became more than just another project for us. The sense of family within their company, the warmth and ingenuity of their top management, the forward-thinking vision of Life Data Labs’ Founder Dr. Frank Gravlee — all these inspired our teams to provide Life Data Labs one of our strongest project efforts to date. We were honored to have the chance to be involved with such an innovative company with an eye toward efficiencies and energy savings.”

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Life Data Labs has a 282 kilowatt (kW) installation, which allows Life Data to potentially operate completely off solar energy. And this is not Life Data Labs’ first foray into green technologies.

Of the solar project, Dr. Gravlee states, “I am professionally passionate about two things: equine nutrition and innovation that works. This solar power plant is the next innovative step to improve the efficiency of our manufacturing process. Life Data has led the way in equine nutrition and is now leading the way in responsible sustainability.”

Life Data Labs’ new solar installation should produce the amount of solar power equivalent to powering 40 homes. However, if Life Data Labs’ manufacturing facility generates more solar energy than they can use themselves, they could have the option of storing the solar power in batteries or even selling it back to the local utility company in the area, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA.)

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: http://solarbuildermag.com/news/one-of-alabamas-largest-private-solar-installations-going-live-this-week/]

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