19.2 KW Farm Solar Electric System in Romulus, NY
Challenge
This 19,200 W (19.2 kW) grid-connected solar electric system was installed as a ground-mounted array of sixty (60) SunPower 320 W solar modules in the field to the South of the Customer's large farm barn.
Solution
This 19,200 W (19.2 kW) grid-connected solar electric system was installed in Romulus, NY as a ground-mounted array of sixty (60) SunPower 320 W solar modules in the field to the South of the Customer's large farm barn. The array was arranged as four Direct Power and Water adjustable-tilt top-of-pole mounts. Each pole holds fifteen (15) modules arranged in landscape and had dimensions of approximately 15.3 ft x 14.0 ft x 14.1 ft (width x height x depth) at 35° tilt. The system is configured electrically as six (6) DC circuits (strings) of six (6) series connected modules providing input through two (2) DC disconnect switches to two (2) SunPower 6000m, 6.0kW inverters, and three (3) DC circuits (strings) of eight (8) series connected modules providing input though one (1) DC disconnect switch to one (1) SunPower 8000m, 8.0kW inverter. These inverters provide grid-synchronous AC output and interface to the electric utility through a dedicated direct tap in the Customer's barn service panel, as existing infrastructure allowed. System power production (kW) and cumulative energy (kWh) monitoring is provided by a SunPower Monitoring System, as well as by a digital display on the inverters. As designed, this system should generate 22,426 kWh per year, for an average of 61 kWh/day, where daily energy production is both weather and seasonally dependent. This energy production will meet 100% of the current farm electrical usage, and 58% of the customer's overall farm and home electrical usage. This production will correspond to a CO2 (greenhouse gas) emissions savings of 20,183 lb per year.
