Case Studies

Off Grid Case Study

Challenge; The customer owns 200 + acres of land on the James River in VA.  They have a large family and like to have visitors on the property.  Bringing Utility Power to the property was going to be  expensive and require permission from neighboring land owners. 

Solution: The customer elected to go off grid by utilizing a 24kW Generac propane generator, 12kW of solar power with 20kW of battery power.  On the property was a 30 x 60 Garage the owner agreed to allow one side of the roof for solar power.  

How: The system was designed to utilize the solar system as the primary power source.  Considering the constraints, the system was sized to provide power to run the home and the garage by identifying the required loads and building in a safety factor.  The power supply was designed and implemented with software which allows the owner to control the relationship between the solar system and the generator. For example: the owner has a party or other circumstances that results in larger than expected loads (kwH) from the power supply, then the generator kicks in to provide uninterrupted power if the batteries drop below the defined charge capacity.  The system was designed so the owner could reduce propane consumption i.e. the amount of time the generator runs, then an additional 20kW of  batteries can be added without modifying the existing infrastructure.  

Summary: The customer has power independence and the ability to modify their power supply using reputable equipment with a minimum 20 year warranty.