Beth – Athens, Ohio

Published on August 14, 2010 in Recent Projects. 0 Comments

Athens Electric reworks existing  solar electric systems as well as installing new.  Here we have added modules to the array and run appropriate conduit and wiring to the power center.   The system had many problems, including serious safety issues, all of which we addressed with this tune up.   This off grid system will soon manifest its optimum performance.

Drake having fun with an off grid upgrade.

Solar Surge in 2009

Published on August 13, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

A recent article published by Reuters shows just how much solar is ramping up.

LOS ANGELES, April 15 (Reuters) – Installed solar capacity in the United States jumped 37 percent in 2009 as state and federal incentive programs helped prop up demand during a downturn, solar advocates said in a report on Thursday.

It was the fourth straight year of record growth for the U.S. solar industry, which most analysts say will emerge as a global leader in the next few years as traditional European powerhouses scale back on their solar incentive programs.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN159853820100415

The incentives put into place by state and federal government helped to bolster demand during the economic downturn. However, due to falling prices caused by a multitude of reasons, it’s also the best time in history to install solar photovoltaic systems.

Chris – Athens, Ohio

Published on July 15, 2010 in Recent Projects. 0 Comments

2350 Watt Grid-tied PV System
10 Sharp 235 watt modules
10 Enphase M190 inverters

Marshall – Amesville, Ohio

Published on June 1, 2010 in Recent Projects. 0 Comments

4.7 KW Grid-tied Solar Photovoltaic System
Sharp 235 watt modules
PV Powered 4800 Inverter

When Marshall adds solar hot water to replace his electric hot water heater, he should be able to supply all of his electrical needs with his solar PV system.

Raymond – Centerville, Ohio

Published on April 1, 2010 in Recent Projects. 0 Comments

5.6 KW Grid-tied Solar Photovoltaic System
Sharp 224 Watt Solar Modules
SMA Sunny Boy 5000US Inverter

Ray’s house is located in Centerville, OH, a suburb of Dayton.

Gary & Mary Ann – Amesville, Ohio

Published on March 2, 2010 in Recent Projects. 0 Comments

2.1  KW Grid-tied Solar Photovoltaic system
10 Sanyo HIT Power 210 N solar modules
SMA SunnyBoy 2100 Watt Inverter

Right in downtown Amesville, Gary and Mary Ann’s house is a perfect site for solar.

Due to the limited roof space, the design of this system required careful planning, to find modules that would fit the area available and still provide at least 2 kW of solar rating.  (2 kW is the smallest array that the State of Ohio will provide grant money for).  The Sanyo HIT Power solar modules have the highest power density available.  These 10  – 210 W modules produce 2100 watts of power, or 2.1 kW.

RD & Peggy – West Virginia

Published on February 14, 2010 in Recent Projects. 0 Comments

Athens Electric installed a grid-tied system with battery backup for an off grid home in West Virginia.

Although the size of the photovoltaic system is small, 650 Watts, soon to expand to 1040 Watts, it serves more complex purposes than a grid tie only system.   It provides back up power in times of power outages.  The batteries can be charged from a generator, the grid or the solar array.

The heart of the system is the Outback VFX 3648 inverter, capable of feeding 3600 Watts of power into the homes wiring system in the event of a power outage.  A 48 volt battery bank stores the power to be used in the case of an outage.