8.1 kW Solar Electric System Installation in Blossvale, New York

Challenge

We installed a new solar electric system for this Net-Zero home in Blossvale, NY.

Solution

This 8,100 W (8.1 kW) grid-connected solar electric system was installed as a ground-mounted array of thirty-six (36) SunPower 225 W solar modules oriented south on two (2) poles behind the garage of the customer's newly constructed house. Each pole uses a Direct Power and Water adjustable-tilt top-of-pole mounted racking system holding eighteen (18) modules arranged in landscape and has dimensions of approximately 15 ft x 14 ft x 13 ft (width x height x depth) at 35° tilt, as illustrated in the accompanying schematic diagram. The array layout is designed to maximize system size while allowing only minimal losses due to shading and ensuring the system is aesthetically pleasing and well-integrated with the house. The system is configured electrically as four (4) DC circuits (strings) of nine (9) series connected modules providing input through two (2) DC disconnect switches to two (2) SunPower 4000m, 4.0 kW inverters. These inverters provide grid-synchronous AC output and interface to the electric utility through a dedicated circuit breaker in the Customer's main service panel. System power production (kW) and cumulative energy (kWh) monitoring is provided by a Onset datalogger and Custom Halco Monitoring Portal, http://monitor.halcoheating.com/ - as well as by a digital display on the inverter and an electromechanical meter.

As designed, this system should generate 8,740 kWh per year, for an average of 24 kWh/day, where daily energy production is both weather and seasonally dependent. This energy production is equivalent to 102 % of the customer's present home electrical usage, and corresponds to a CO2 (greenhouse gas) emissions savings of 11,011 lb per year.