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Project Management
California
Vineyard
A California couple wanted to use solar
energy to power their 650-acre vineyard in the hills above the Napa valley.
SDA responded with a comprehensive assessment of their existing and planned
facilities and made recommendations for energy-efficiency and energy production
measures for the entire property.
The firm engineered a 7.5-kWp PV system placed directly in the terraced
vineyard to power irrigation pumps. SDA also designed a new, energy-independent
residence using roof integrated PV and solar thermal systems, and engineered
a 30-kWp PV system for a south-facing hillside for the remainder of the
power requirements.
PV-Powered Vacation
Home
An architect/engineer couple wanted to construct
a vacation home on an island off the coast of New England. They purchased
a spectacular tract of land with a 300 degree water view and hundreds of
feet of private ocean frontage and set out to design their dream house.
There was utility power available on the island, but the power company wanted
$50,000 to extend the line to the site and 42 cents per kilowatt-hour. The
couple decided on electricity from the sun. SDA designed and installed a
ground-mounted, 2.5 kWp stand-alone PV power system with battery storage
and a back-up propane-fired generator to provide 120-240 VAC power for their
home.
The couple often have guests and also rent their home when they aren't using
it. The power system is fully automatic and has provided reliable power
through several seasons of summer tenants. When hurricane Bob passed directly
over the island in 1991, this PV-powered house was one of only a few buildings
on the island to have electricity.
New England Electric
When New England Electric joined in a
consortium with six other utilities to promote energy-efficient building
practices, they wanted a way to accurately track the performance of the
new buildings that resulted from the program and compare this with existing
buildings of standard construction.
SDA responded with a micro-processor-based data acquisition system which
was placed in six residences - three newly constructed and three existing
- to monitor energy consumption on some 20 data channels every five seconds,
24 hours per day. The data is then compiled on site and transmitted to SDA's
office computer system once each day via high-speed data modem. SDA provided
the client with data system engineering, specification, installation, commissioning,
and operation.
©
2002 Solar Design Associates, Inc.
P.O. Box 242, Harvard Massachusetts 01451-0242
Phone: (978) 456-6855 Email:
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