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OK, the title sounds a little extreme, but it’s actually true!
SolarCraft just completed a 53.6 kilowatt (KW) system for Sunny Hills Services, which is a non-profit organization that serves vulnerable youths and their families in Novato, CA.
The Solar System
The system itself is mounted on the roof of the administration building and gymnasium. It spans over 3,963 square feet and helps to keep the buildings cool by providing shade as well as electricity.
Designed for maximum efficiency, each of the system’s 224 panels is controlled by a microinverter, which was manufactured by another California solar company, Enphase Energy. Inverters convert the electricity that panels produce (variable direct current) into electricity that can be used in the buildings (utility frequency alternating current). When the entire system is connected to a single inverter and a panel is shaded, the entire system becomes much less efficient. However, with microinverters, each panel generates and converts its power individually, making shade much less of a problem and ensuring the panels produce as efficiently as possible (generally about 10-12% more power).
Novato Solar Power Savings
According to Mary Denton, Sunny Hills Services’ CEO, the system will be “cost neutral” from day one and will remain so for the duration of the seven year initial lease, at which point the non-profit will begin to really save money. This will allow them to offer more of their fantastic programs and services.
More About the Organization
Originally established as an orphanage in 1895, Sunny Hills Services is now a dedicated regional child welfare organization that protects, serves, and nurtures at risk children and adolescents. Today, Sunny Hills Services helps provide education, community based, and mental health services to hundreds of children each year.
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