The Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley in Chandler, Arizona recently had a 2.3 kW solar electric system installed.
This was a huge Arizona and local community effort, with Aide Solar, a large-scale producer donating photovoltaic modules, DEGERenergie donating a 5000HD dual axis tracker, and Fronius donating a power inverter
Hawkins Design Group donated the electrical system design, and solar power systems company, SolarCity donated their installation services. To get the project started, the City of Chandler waived permit fees and streamlined the installation process. This project shows that public and private enterprises can work together when they have a common goal.
“This installation is an example of how Chandler will continue its leadership role in developing policies and programs targeted at promoting higher energy efficiency in new and existing buildings.”
Chandler Mayor Boyd W. Dunn
“The cooperative efforts and generosity of all the participating organizations has resulted in the production of clean renewable energy and is a great example for learning about sustainability.”
The 32,000 square foot building, owned and managed by the city of Chandler, is Silver Certified through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, and is compliant with the city’s new Green Building Program. The Boys and Girls Club organization is the primary user of the building, but not the only one.
The project was a great opportunity for the companies and community to work together, to learn how technology can bring community improvements and raise awareness of what can be done.
The combination of photovoltaic panels, and the sophisticated monitoring and tracking systems is a step closer to a Smart Grid, where the entire network is connected to the Internet.
According to DEGERenergie, their solar tracking system will generate around 45 percent more energy than a conventional fixed array, because the tracker ensures the photovoltaic array is always aligned to the brightest area in the sky, harvesting the maximum amount of energy, even on cloudy days. This is the first dual axis installation of the DEGERenergie tracking technology in the Western U.S.
Editor’s Note: LEED certification is an independent authentication system for buildings.
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