In this small off-the-shelf application more than 10% of the electricity demanded by the community is supplied by clean PV energy. This is also likely the first system of its kind operating in North America!
Live Monitoring: http://view2.fatspaniel.net/Canmet/xeni/EndUserView.html
Red = Generator Energy Supplied
Green = Solar Energy Supplied
Orange = Community Load Demand
Project Architect: Andrew Swingler, adswingler@gmail.com
[Click on the diagram for more resolution. The industrial loads are fed by underground cable.]
Data monitoring enclosure. Xantrex GT inverters to Fat Spaniel Gateways to Linksys Switch to Engenius Power Over Ethernet wireless internet radio.
Upper fourplex. 10kW PV.
Trouble-shooting dead radios.
Pay-as-you-go residential metering. AMAZING! 100% effective at increasing energy awareness and decreasing consumption. Most houses in the subdivision are consuming~ 5kWh per day!!!
Upper fourplex again.
Twin Xantrex PV inverters with communications box above. Pay-as-you-go power meters to the right. Low voltage compatible (48VDC) PV service on the left.
Lower fourplex. 10kW PV.
End of the line residence. 3kW PV. Outdoor monitoring enclosure. Has already survived one very cold winter (March 2008).
Local talent.
Day4 Panels are easy to install.
90kW air-cooled Deutz diesel.
Wireless radio. This one is an ethernet bridge and not an access point.
Command central. Lots of power metering. Note the very sophisticated ION7650 on the right. Also note that the ION is controlling the surplus PV dump load!
New 30kW genset environmental controls. Pretty slick.
Testing 2.5kW reverse power from surplus PV into the NEW 30kW genset. The 30kW genset can only withstand 15% reverse power.
This communications box is too high!! Needed to stand on van to access.
The end of the line house. Note the very early morning frost.
Main disconnect switches. 14.4 kW line on the right. Residential subdivision power flows in and out of here. 250kVA transformer based industrial loads on the center. These only operate during work hours. The NEW 30kVA 24 hour transformer switch on the right.
Replacing the 3kW inverter at the end of the line. Xantrex products used to service Xantrex products.
The NEW 'evenings and weekends' 30kW genset in its own container! Pricey but slick - and worth it.
The big bad diesel tank.
Extended oil sump plumbing on the 30kW. The oil change interval is something like one year. The extended sump holds about 200L of engine oil.
The NEW 'evenings and weekends' fuel saving 30kW Deutz.
The NEW critical 24 hour commercial load transformer. Powers furnace fans, phone system, medical fridge and some security lights.
The NEW 'Evenings and weekends' load shedding contactor. Sheds commercial loads outside of work hours. Saves more than 40,000L of diesel fuel per year. FORTY THOUSAND.
Genset dynamic controls.
