With energy costs continuing to climb and environmental concerns gaining more and more visibility, Alpha Energy is making it easier for competitive businesses to harness power from the sun to help control their energy expenses and reduce their carbon footprint. High-profile US installations, including the following large commercial grid-tied solar systems and solar elevated racking structures, highlight Alpha's position as the industry expert in turnkey solar power solutions.

Elevated Racking Structure in Manheim, NJ

When completed, this 1MW DC gridparalleled Solar System in Bordentown, NJ will be the largest continuous elevated racking structure in the United States. The system will provide clean and low-cost power for onsite business operations for the next 20 to 25 years. As part of the Renewable Energy Portfolio available only in New Jersey, our customer was able to lower the system cost through the sale of environmental attributes (Solar Renewable Energy Credits).

This 1MW grid-tied solar power system includes 5,880 photovoltaic panels spanning a total area of 140,000 square feet. The panels are tied in to one single electric utility meter via 10 separate inverters; this ensures that if a single array needs troubleshooting, 90% of the system would still be producing electricity. The system will generate more than 1,130,000 kilowatt hours per year, which is roughly the amount required to power 128 homes. The resulting CO2 offset of 2,030,000 lbs (about 923 tons) is equivalent to eliminating the annual emissions from 169 cars.

Elevated Racking Structure in Phoenix, AZ

As part of a broader effort to reduce their power demand and energy expenses, Cox Communications contacted Alpha Energy to design and implement a solar power system at its Phoenix, Ariz. headquarters. Alpha Energy worked with a regional prefabricated parking structure installer and electrical contractor to engineer and build a series of turnkey Elevated Racking Structures.

The 153kW grid-tied solar power system includes 900 photovoltaic panels spread across six new racking structures, enough to accommodate 75 parking spaces. The system will generate more than 240,000 kilowatt hours per year, which is roughly the amount required to power 16 homes. The resulting CO2 offset of 392,081 lbs (178.2 tons) is equivalent to preventing the emissions from 33 cars.

As an added benefit the racking structures provide parking protection from the elements. These structures also make the solar modules visible from the street to help demonstrate Cox Communications' commitment to renewable energy.

Off-Grid Solar System in Hinsdale, CO

This remote electrical system was built and installed in Southwestern Colorado as part of a project to improve emergency communications. The site is located at 9700 feet elevation up a narrow and steep ATV path. An 800mHz repeater radio is the primary load on-site with additional DC and AC power provided for local emergency fire, rescue and police communication.

The combined load of all the communications systems is just over 50 kilowatt hours per day – roughly equivalent to the electrical demands of two average grid-connected homes. Not surprisingly, the mandate for this electrical system was "extreme reliability" so two sources of power generation are available. A 13.86kW PV array is the primary source of energy, backed up by a 20kW diesel generator.

The solar power system on this site is intended to meet 86% of the power requirements, with the remainder of the power coming from the 20kW diesel generator. The 240Vac output of the generator is converted into 48Vdc by a bank of Argus Cordex™ 3.8kW rectifiers. The hybrid nature of this system – PV assisted by a generator – maximizes battery life and minimizes the risk of load loss.

Grid-Tied Solar System in Phoenix, AZ

This 16.8kW solar power system is installed on a new Elevated Racking Structure at the Arizona Air National Guard station in Phoenix, Ariz.

The system includes nearly 100 photovoltaic panels and three 5000W solar inverters. By installing the system on an elevated racking structure, AANG was able to satisfy two objectives. The primary objective was to provide space for the solar panels, the electrical output of which will be used to support the back offices of their main facility and the facilities manager. A secondary objective was to provide parking protection for up to 16 cars. This system will significantly reduce the amount of power needed by both buildings.

This solar system will produce 29,500 kilowatt hours per year, offsetting more than 46,000 lbs (about 21 tons) of CO2 annually.