Overview
With modern community amenities such as a swimming pool, tennis courts, pond fountains, and a club house, the Villages of Southampton Home Owners Association recognized that the increasing cost of electricity would be an ever growing burden on its residents. To plan for the future financial prosperity of the community, the board determined that solar was the best method to not only reduce their energy costs, but also to generate income. With limited ground area available, the community elected to design and install a custom cedar wood pergola with an integrated solar array. The large pergola sits directly next to the community pool and is complimented by a small roof mounted solar array on the nearby club house. The two arrays combine for a total solar capacity of 20 kW.
Engineering
The custom engineered pergola is constructed of cedar wood and supported by concrete foundations. To match the 30+ year lifespan of the solar system, cedar wood was chosen for its durability and resilience in the salt-air environment. Additionally, the aesthetics of the cedar complement the club house and resident’s homes. The solar modules are attached to the pergola structure by the low profile Unirac SunFrame mounting system. The pergola also features unique openings and hidden cabinets in order to keep the electrical wiring out of sight.
This project included the use of a progressive utility tariff known as a Community Energy Facility / Aggregated Metering interconnection. The innovative tariff allows the solar system to be installed on a new independent electrical service/meter. This method allows the solar system to operate independently of the communities many electrical services/meters and for all of the solar system’s generation to be fed to the utility grid and measured by the utility company. The energy (kWh) generated by the solar system is then simply credited to the various utility accounts of the HOA. This interconnection method provides the community with the distinct advantage of being able to install one central solar system and have it benefit the many large and small utility accounts spread throughout the neighborhood. The one-of-a-kind community owned solar system includes (82) Motech solar modules and (4) SMA Sunny Boy Inverters.
Benefits
The beautiful solar pergola provides the Villages of Southampton with the dual benefits of electricity generation and a shaded seating area next to their pool for residents use. Additionally, the community did not have to sacrifice any of their highly valued common area open spaces. The homeowners and residents now are protected from utility rate increases and have a prime lounging area to stay cool in the summer months. Lastly, all of the vacationing residents can closely track their investment through a web-based monitoring system from anywhere in the world.
Note: The Villages of Southampton solar project was designed and constructed by Flexera, Inc. under the direction of Mr. Manlove during his tenure with the company. Mr. Manlove is the Professional Engineer of record for the project.
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Design by Outfit Solutions
Information
Technology:
Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
Sector:
Community/Commercial
Utility:
Delmarva Power & Light
Interconnection Tariff:
Community Energy Facility
Aggregated Meters
Interconnection Method:
Grid-Tied
City: Ocean View, DE
County: Sussex
Design
Size (kWdc): 20.090
Modules:
(82) Motech Americas
IM60C2-245-T10B50
Inverters:
(3) SMA SB5000US
(1) SMA SBHF2500US
Monitoring:
SMA Sunny WebBox
SMA Sunny Portal
Mounting:
Roof: Unirac SolarMount
Pergola: Unirac SunFrame
Generation
Monthly kWh Production:
1,980
Annual kWh Production:
23,759
30 Year kWh Production:
672,932
Annual CO2 Offset (lbs.):
36,119
30 Year CO2 Offset (lbs.):
1,023,003