Freedom Solar Power’s commercial project at Strictly Pediatrics Surgery Center, the largest rooftop PV system in Central Texas, is a finalist for Solar Builder Magazine’s 2016 Projects of the Year.
Polebridge Mercantile, located 45 miles from the Utility Grid on the western edge of Glacier National Park in Montana, has always had to rely on a diesel-powered generator and lead acid batteries to provide power to the remote and rustic town since the 1950s. In 2010, a small 5-kW solar power system consisting of two pole mounted arrays with 24 solar modules was installed along with a large 48 volt flooded lead acid battery bank. However, the size of the solar system proved inadequate to meet growing load requirements and the batteries suffered due to repeated deep cycle discharging and extreme temperature ranges, all of which undermined reliable off grid access to power. In 2016, an additional 25 kW of solar power was added in combination with SimpliPhi Power’s PHI 3.4 kWh 48 Volt 60 Amp batteries to store solar generation and extend access to power throughout the night, storms and other inclement weather. The new solar array boasts 87 solar modules mounted to the roof of a new barn built on site to match the angle of the sun throughout the year. The 17 SimpliPhi lithium ferrous phosphate batteries are installed in parallel to increase capacity at 48 Volts and could be safely installed inside the barn without the risk of thermal runaway or requisite cooling or ventilation equipment characteristic of other lithium ion batteries.
Developer: AEON Renewable Energy
Contractor: AEON Renewable Energy
Modules: SolarWorld for both arrays
Inverter: Schneider Electric
Energy Storage: SimpliPhi Power
Mounting: Rooftop array from Zilla Racs
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