The states of Georgia and Massachusetts are boosting their solar portfolio with new installations from USFloors and Spectrum Lighting, respectively.
USFloors has installed a 365-kW rooftop solar array from Suniva, which is considered the largest single solar installation in Georgia. Commissioned by United Renewable Energy, (URE), the solar installation, consisting of three arrays, is expected to produce 560,000 kWh per year. Completed in November 2009, the installation also is offsetting 11,400 tons of CO2.
To fund the project, USFloors received federal and state credits and incentives, including a Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) Clean Energy Property Grant.
Suniva also announced that the company's solar modules will power the visitor center at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Marietta, Georgia. The solar installation produces 70 kW of power for the park's visitor center, which is expected to offset the AC unit in the building.
Spectrum Lighting is installing a 58.8-kW solar array at its 120,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing, showroom and office facility in Fall River, Massachusetts. Commissioned and installed by Solar Installation, the solar array consists of 299 solar modules, Solectria inverters and a ballast mounting system that does not penetrate the roof.
Spectrum also had its roof resurfaced with added insulation and a TPO white membrane, installed by CentiMark, which is expected to increase the roof lifespan, cut cooling costs and improve the solar array's performance.
The system is designed with a four-year payback and will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1,256 tons of CO2 over its 25-year lifespan. Munro Distributing provided all the solar components.
Spectrum also plans to add another solar array and a LED lamp retrofit in combination with a daylight harvesting system. The lighting company also is looking into the lease of six to ten Chevy Volt cars, which would be charged at stations in front of its building.
Other recent solar installations in Massachusetts include BJ's Wholesale, Harvard University, Grainger Manufacturing and MassMutual.