Camp Dewan
Goes Solar
Camp Dewan is
now providing 90% of its own
electrical power. The
installation of solar panels
on the barn roof was
completed in June 2008.
The best
location for a solar panel
installation is a
south-facing location with
little or no shade. The barn
roof at Camp Dewan is the
perfect application. The
78th solar panel was
installed and the system
went live on Thursday, June
12, 2008.
Wisconsin has wonderful
incentives for renewable
energy. Focus on Energy, a
Wisconsin organization that
promotes renewable energy
initiatives, is paying for
25% of the cost of the
installation. Wisconsin
Energies, our electrical
utility company, provides an
incentive to sell renewable
electricity directly to them
with their Energy for
Tomorrow Program. The
program "buys" renewable
energy at about twice the
rate that we're paying them
for electricity!
H&H Solar Energy Services of
Madison, Wisconsin installed
a 16kW solar electric system
on the roof of this barn in
June of 2008.
What is a solar electric
(PV) system?
Copper
circuitry is inlaid into
sheets of silicon. When the
sun hits the silicon, the
photons excite the electrons
and a current is produced.
A collection of silicon
cells form a panel, a
collection of panels forms
an array.
In the case
of Camp
Dewan,
seventy eight Kyocera KD 205
(watt) GX-LP panels make
this a 16kW (78x205 watts =
15,990 watts, or 15.99 kW).
What are the boxes on the
wall of the barn?
The boxes on
the wall are called
INVERTERS. Power generated
by the solar array is DC
power. The inverters change
the DC power to usable AC
electricity. These are
grid-tie inverters, meaning
the power is suitable for
use by the Utility providing
power to the customer – in
this case Camp
Dewan. The
inverters are SMA Sunny Boy
7000 (watt) grid tie
inverters.
How
long will the system last?
The system is designed to
last at least forty years.
The panels are guaranteed to
deliver 80% of their rated
output for twenty five
years. There are no moving
parts, so there is very
little maintenance.
Focus on Energy (www.focusonenergy.com)
provided funding for this
project. Electricity from
Camp Dewan is purchased by
We Energies at a higher
electric rate through the
Energy for Tomorrow Program.
More Questions About Solar?
Contact: H&H Solar Energy
Services
2801 Syene Road
Madison, WI 53713
608-273-3434
Direct: 608-268-5923
www.hhsolarenergy.com
