Evergreen Solar Inc. has provided its String Ribbon solar modules for a 220 kW ground-mounted installation photovoltaic installation at Carlson Orchards Inc. in Harvard, Mass. The business is a 120-acre apple, peach and nectarine orchard that also produces more than 500,000 gallons of apple cider each year. The array was constructed using Evergreen Solar's ES-A Series solar panels.
The system will supply approximately two-thirds of the electricity at the orchard by powering two large-scale refrigeration buildings and the orchard's cider press. It will generate more than 5 million kWh of electricity over 20 years, according to Evergreen Solar.
Because the array is located on slanted ground, careful attention had to be paid to its architecture. The project's installer, Lighthouse Electrical Construction, hired Stephen Kelleher Architects and its subsidiary, kWind Inc. They designed a racking system that employs variable-length legs to yield a level installation that maximizes each solar panel's electrical potential, Evergreen Solar says.
The inverter and the data acquisition system for the array were manufactured by Solectria Renewables LLC, of Lawrence, Mass.
SOURCE: Evergreen Solar Inc.
