Sunterra Solar Completes Innovative Solar Carport
Sunterra Solar Completes Innovative Solar Carport
May 2010, Novato, CA
Sunterra Solar Inc. of Novato, CA has completed the design and construction of their latest solar innovation – a 30 KW modular T-cantilevered Solar CarShade Structure. The project includes a free standing T-Cantilever Parking CarShade with an integrated 30KW solar power system designed to power the office complex’s common area and outdoor lighting of the Palm & Herndon office complex in Fresno, Ca. The project was completed in Feb 2011.
One of the greatest benefits of the system design is the improved aesthetics over a typical parking lot solar structure. The design of the structure “roof” remains level, but still incorporates a 15 degree tilt in the solar panels, which greatly increases the energy output of the system. This, of course, significantly increases the project Return On Investment (ROI). Because the entire structure’s roof remains level, the overall height of the structure is approximately half of what typical solar parking structures are, and the minimum clearance underneath can still accommodate even the largest of vehicles.
Speaking of vehicles, remember the fact that a solar carport is in a parking lot or located on top of a parking garage. The possibility of 2 ton+ vehicles speeding through the parking lot created a challenge to ensure that no vehicles could impact and damage the structure. To accomplish this, Sunterra designed the structure with a T-cantilever design that if viewed from the end looks like a giant “T”. The columns run in a single row down the middle of the structure and not at the outside corners or side where vehicles drive. This design, combined with the use of normal concrete parking blocks, virtually eliminates the possibility for cars connecting with the structure. Additionally, there is a very low parts count due to the integration of the panel fixed tilt mechanism which reduces the overall cost of the system, again improving ROI.
The structure’s simplistic and aesthetic design and has been highly admired by everyone from the owner, general contractor, installers and building department officials as an improvement over other solar structures they have seen..
The structure itself was completed from footings to roof in approximately 3 days and the PV system installed in about two weeks with a limited crew. The system’s design is amazingly modular. It can be installed with as little as 30kW up to multi-megawatt sizes without any additional engineering.
The 29KW system will eliminate approximately 30% of the estimated usage from the complex’s common area meter based upon similar new construction projects. The system is estimated to produce approximately 50,000 kWh of clean, green, renewable electricity from a single solar power array that holds approximately 2700 sq. ft. of solar panels on top of a custom engineered free-standing 4500 sq. ft. T-cantilever parking shade. The electricity produced from the system eliminates the production of similar amounts of fossil fuel electricity that would normally be produced with a bi-product of greenhouse gases such as 64,000 lbs. of CO2 and 21 lbs. of deadly NOx. This is also similar to removing 7 full sized automobiles from the road and planting 9 acres of trees.
There system consists of 192 ET Solar 180 watt mono-crystalline solar panels mounted on a 15 degree tilt to the south on top of the parking shade, along with 4 additional “filler” panels. When the sun is shining the panels produce DC electricity, similar to a car battery but much larger, which is fed through an underground electrical system into the SMA SunnyTower 36KW inverter located in the protected area below the CarShade where it converts the DC electricity into AC electricity at the same voltage as the buildings electrical system. From there the electricity is fed into the building’s main electrical switchboard where it is used instantaneously by the building or sold back to the utility company for a credit.
The system includes a state of the art Online Monitoring System so that the systems operation can be observed by Sunterra 24/7.
The system will save the owner approximately $14,000 annually and with the generous rebates, grants and tax incentives will pay for itself in less than 5 years when considering the typical average energy cost increase of 6.7% per year.
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About Sunterra Solar
Sunterra Solar Inc. is one of North America’s premier commercial solar power contractors. Sunterra designs and constructs turn-key grid-connected solar power systems and structures for commercial, agricultural and government customers. We have a decade of experience in the solar industry building large scale systems. Sunterra designs and builds the system that matches your organization’s needs both technically and financially, and guaranteed to exceed your expectations in long term performance.
In addition to turn-key solar power systems we also design and install automated monitoring and control systems and building energy efficiency measures. Our creative design team has experience engineering difficult builds and has proven ability to design outside of the box.
Sunterra Solar Inc. was founded by solar industry veteran Chris Bunas, who also holds a Solar PV Installers Certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners or NABCEP.
After approximately a decade of experience developing grid-tied solar power projects at another organization, Mr. Bunas felt it was the appropriate time to launch his own solar company to focus on commercial solar power projects with a more direct and efficient business model.
Mr. Bunas was the key factor in the creation, development and operation of the Solar Electric Division as Vice-President at another very well known northern California solar integrator, where he excelled for 7 years building that company’s brand and services. Aside from virtually building the solar electric division from scratch at this company, Mr. Bunas personally designed, developed and managed or oversaw construction of many well known solar plants such as Paramount Farms 1.1MW solar plant, Cline Cellars Winery 412KW solar power plant, Merryvale Vineyards – Starmont 277KW solar power plant, and many others. During his employment, Mr. Bunas designed, developed and managed many great solar installations throughout California.
Over his entire industry tenure, Mr. Bunas has been very involved with local building departments, utility companies and industry associations and assisted in developing regulations for rebates and interconnection of solar power systems. In one case, along with assistance from an environmental consultant, Mr. Bunas helped change a 40 year old law and regulation for some central Ca counties so that large scale solar projects could get built without have to wait for years of red tape.
Prior to landing in the solar power industry in 2000 Mr Bunas, a California native, worked in technology at the VP and Director Level for various fortune 500 companies where he successfully delivered many large scale technical IT solutions.
Mr. Bunas is a proud military veteran of the US Marines during Operation Desert Storm. Mr. Bunas brings all of the leadership experience and core values, like loyalty, honesty and integrity, along with attention to detail and “Outside the Box” can-do attitude taken from the military into Sunterra’s business practices used today.
