Vancouver, BC, USA: Xantrex Inverters Support Net Zero Electric Commercial Building PV System
Published in SolarBuzz.com SOLAR ENERGY NEWS CENTER

Xantrex Technology said today that its solar inverters were chosen by GeoGenix LLC, a New Jersey-based energy systems integrator, for a project that transformed a 41,500 sq ft shop and office facility for Ferreira Construction Company (Ferreira) into a high-performance "Net Zero Electric" building.

Xantrex supplied two 100 kilowatt PV Series commercial inverters, key system components that convert DC power, produced by solar panels covering Ferreira's rooftop, to clean, efficient, sustainable AC power to enable full functionality of the building's electrical and HVAC systems while providing a positive return on Ferreira's investment.

The entire rooftop of the new Ferreira building contains photovoltaic solar panels, rated at 223,300 DC Watts. The building also features solar thermal domestic hot water, full radiant heat, high efficiency rooftop units, a condensing boiler plant, and integrated web-based building controls. The building's monitoring system can be viewed by the public on the Web, to promote energy conservation and renewable energy, by illustrating the real-time operation and energy savings of these integrated systems.

Ferreira will save approximately 30,700 therms and 245,000 kWh per year - a 65 percent reduction due to the energy efficient design and renewable energy equipment that is installed, making it the first "Net Zero Electric" new commercial building in the eastern USA. This reduction in energy purchased by Ferreira comes at a time when electrical energy rates have risen approximately 10 percent, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

"Even during times of peak energy demand, such as the record-setting heat wave that swept the Northeast in late July, the energy produced at the Ferreira building exceeded the company's real-time power requirements to function at optimum levels," said Gaurav A. Naik, Director, at GeoGenix LLC. "Additionally, the system supplied enough power back to the utility grid to offset the peak electricity demands of 20 average New Jersey homes. With Xantrex inverters providing 100 percent availability, we were able to exceed Zero Energy standards."

The U.S. Department of Energy's Zero Energy initiative combines energy-efficient construction and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems such as solar electricity to result in net-zero energy consumption. A Zero Energy Building is connected to the utility grid, but is designed and built to produce as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis. With its reduced energy requirements and renewable energy systems, the Ferreira building provides slightly more electricity to the grid than it uses annually.

"We are proud to be a part of this groundbreaking project," said Xantrex CEO John Wallace. "Xantrex is a leader in enabling companies to work toward energy self-sufficiency. Facilities like the Ferreira building showcase how sustainable practices can be put into action and provide a positive net economic benefit to companies willing to invest in these technologies."

Further details about: Xantrex Technology and GeoGenix LLC