A Secure Hawaiian Solar Array

摘要

Utility costs in Hawaii are higher than most of the U.S., so it's not uncommon to see solar panels installed on larger projects to take advantage of the state's plentiful sunshine. After repairing a 30-year-old standing seam roof, the Word of Life Christian Center in Honolulu installed an 82 kW solar array, attached with clamps from S-51, Colorado Springs, Colo. To cover the cost of the roof repairs as well as the crystalline solar panels, the Word of Life Christian Center entered into a Power Purchase Agreement, where any unused electricity was sold back to the local power company. This required no money down and allowed the congregation to save money from day one. The solar system was made up of 241 340W P17 modules from SunPower, San Jose, Calif., each secured with Mini Clamps from S-5! The system is projected to produce 124.9 MWh in the first year. Almost 50 percent of the roof is covered by solar panels.