November 17, 2008

Rockaway, NJ, USA: The Solar Center Starts Installation of 96 kilowatt Solar Electric System

The Solar Center is commencing installation of a 96 kilowatt solar system for IDA-International of Derby, Connecticut, its largest solar installation to date in that state.

Company President, Shannon Whitworth Kayen, hailed the project as another big step in The Solar Center's continuing expansion of its Connecticut presence, especially in the commercial solar marketplace. "We're pleased to be able to work with IDA-International and the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund in advancing the cause of solar, reducing global warming gasses, furthering the goal of national energy independence, and supporting Connecticut's congested southwestern electric grid, all while providing our customer with a project that will, ultimately, yield a substantial low-risk return on investment," said Whitworth Kayen.

For its part, IDA, a manufacturer of facades and custom curtain-walls for commercial buildings, made a mission several years ago to bring an environmental awareness to its operations, with the vision toward becoming a green manufacturer. Many of the facades they construct are for buildings where the owner is seeking LEED status from the US Green Building Council.

Thomas Harbinson, IDA's President, stated "we already use components that have a high recycled material content, and now our fabrication and assembly of those parts into a finished product will also be done in an environmentally sensitive manner." Harbinson adds, "Generating electricity from sunlight is a decision that took time to implement. Fortunately, when our 1800's era factory building was built, the designer took solar orientation into account for bringing daylight into the workplace. That orientation now works to our advantage with maximum potential for solar electrical generation. A standing seam metal roof as part of our building envelope both eases the attachment of the solar panels to our building, and reduces the heat gain on the building structure due to it's high emissivity."

IDA hopes to illustrate that former under-utilized industrial buildings can be given new life with a green aspect such as solar electric generation. It's a business direction for other companies to take a serious look at.

The project was partially funded by a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund's On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program, which provides qualified projects funding that can equal as much as 50% of a project's cost. Combined with federal investment tax credits and accelerated depreciation, solar projects in CT can realize returns in the range of 15-20%.

Further details about: The Solar Center