A 118-Kilowatt (kW) SunPower System at DPR Construction's LEED NC V4 Platinum Certification, Net Zero Energy Designed Building Expected to Generate Positive Cash Flow of Over $200,000 in First Year
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Vista Solar today announced the completion of a 118-kW high efficiency SunPower solar power system for national builder DPR Construction.
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140611/116976
The system, which was designed, engineered and installed by Vista Solar, is expected to generate at least 158,000 kilowatt hours of clean energy each year and help DPR Construction achieve net zero energy consumption at its new San Francisco office, meeting 100 percent of the building's annual electricity needs.
"Since this is DPR Construction's first net zero energy designed regional office in the Bay Area, it was critical that we chose the right partner and solar technology to help us achieve our company goals," says Mike Messick, project manager for DPR Construction.
DPR Construction partnered with Vista Solar to meet a number of unique site challenges in pursuit of DPR Construction's net zero energy goal, including installation of the solar power system on the company's highly-constrained rooftop. To generate the maximum amount of power within the limited roof space, Vista Solar installed high-efficiency SunPower X21/345 solar panels, which produce 75 percent more energy than conventional panels from the same space over the first 25 years.1
Additionally, Vista Solar installed Solar Edge inverters which pair DC optimizers with each panel to produce as much power as possible, even when other panels on the roof are shaded by the adjacent buildings, as well as Silverback Solar racking for a custom design solution that accommodated the precise attachment points, 20-foot spans, varying elevations of the barrel roof and 19 solar tubes.
"While we regularly build much larger projects, the challenge of finding solutions for the site constraints and being able to take part in a net zero retrofit, right in our backyard, made this an inspiring project to work on," said Vista Solar sales engineer Sam Kim. "Everyone wanted to see DPR succeed."
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1 SunPower 345W compared to a Conventional Panel (240W, 15% efficient, approx. 1.6 m2), 9% more energy per watt, 0.75%/yr slower degradation. BEW/DNV Engineering "SunPower Yield Report," Jan 2013, with CFV Solar Test Lab Report #12063, Jan 2013 temp. coef. calculation. Campeau, Z. et al. "SunPower Module Degradation Rate," SunPower white paper, Feb 2013. See www.sunpowercorp.com/facts for details.
About Vista Solar
Vista Solar is a California-based commercial solar electric design and installation firm, which specializes in analyzing commercial and agricultural utility rate structures and optimizing solar system designs that yield maximum energy bill savings for its customers. With over 100 solar installations and +9 megawatts of solar power systems installed across California, Vista Solar systems generate guaranteed energy production and long-term financial benefits. For more information, visit www.vista-solar.com.
About DPR Construction
DPR Construction is a forward-thinking national general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology/mission critical, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and corporate office markets. Founded in 1990, DPR Construction is a privately held, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with offices around the country, making it one of the largest general contractors in the nation and a great story of entrepreneurial success. It is currently ranked No. 10 on FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list and was recently identified as the Largest Private Company in Silicon Valley in the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal's list of the 75 largest private companies in Silicon Valley. For more information, visit www.dpr.com.
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