Photovoltaic Project

PHOTOVOLTAIC PROJECT

8/28/2009

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Harry Indig, PMP

Prepared for Nicole and Ret Taylor

156 Northeast 59th Street Seattle, WA 98105

CUSTOMER NARRATIVE

As a class Project Photovoltaic at Shoreline Community College has agreed to review the analyze

of cost, efficiency, feasibility, and return of investment using a roof mounted solar photovoltaic

module array.

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The customers home at 156 Ne 59th St in Seattle,

WA has been owned by the current owners since

2005. They were fortunate this house has had no

additions and minimally invasive remodels since its

construction in 1909. Being its century year, the

owners have sought to do an extensive remodel by

lifting its 990 square feet main floor off its original

foundation, raising it by 3 feet, upon setting it back

down. This will double it’s conditioned square

footage by allowing the current basement to

become livable space.

Conservation measures such as passive day

lighting, increased insulation, improved circulation,

the addition of a heating system, and replacement

of the existing hot water system, and with the

possibility of adding solar electric generation will

all be incorporated into the remodel.

CUSTOMER OBJECTIVES

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The customer’s objective is to look into the feasibility and long-term return on

investment of a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic array. The owners believe the retail expense

of power in the Seattle area is relatively inexpensive. However; both owners believe making

decisions for the good of our community for the future, needs to be evaluated. The prospect

of current energy prices increasing in the near future is also of concern. And with the

incentives being offered by our government on federal and state levels coupled with the

incentives being paid by the local power distribution companies for selling electricity to

them; generating their own solar power becomes an attractive venture.

Over all else, the owners would

like to know if they are getting a

good return on investment by

putting their capital towards solar

power versus investing in a

security such as a secured bond or

growth equity.

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Is Solar Right for You?

Yes, if you...

Own the building where you

want to install solar;

Have a roof in good shape and

shade-free; and

Are interested in making a

long-term investment to protect

yourself from rising energy

costs and want to reduce your

environmental impact.

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Benefits and Costs

Solar Energy:

Is a long-term investment that

increases in value as energy costs rise.

Reduces your "carbon footprint" -- the

amount of greenhouse gases produced

by your home or business, which in

turn lessens your overall impact on the

environment.

Costs (for a solar electric system) between $8,000 and $10,000 per kilowatt (average

residential systems are 1 to 3 kilowatts).

Is eligible for incentives offered by Washington State of $0.15 to $0.54 cents per kilowatt-

hour (kWh) generated (by a solar electric system) with a cap of $5,000 per year (HB6170).

Is eligible for a federal tax credit equal to 30% of the system cost.

PAST ELECTRICAL CONSUMPTION

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LOAD CALCULATIONS

•27% less electricity will be consumed due to the combination of these upgrades at an initial cost of about $5,500.

•A federal tax credit of $1,640 for the 2009 – 2010 tax years will be earned due to the combination of these upgrades.

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To maximize the PV system

investment (by purchasing as little

electricity as possible) additional

conservation steps will be taken to

reduce electrical consumption.

Electrical conservation will be

achieved primarily through the

migration of thermal loads from

electrical to natural gas devices.

CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITYASSESSMENT HARDWARE SELECTION

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•Increase insulation in attic space

• Replace electric space heaters

•Replace electric hot water heater with

high volume tankless natural gas unit

SITE ASSESSMENT

Sun Chart: Determination of Solar Exposure

Orientation. Azimuth Angles. Altitude Angles. Completing the Sun Chart

Reading the Sun Chart - Client Assistance Memo (CAM) 417 and 420

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Solar Availability

What we do know about the Seattle

solar window can be explained and

analyzed with some basic tools of

our solar industry.

One is the SunEye™ by Solmetric.

The second device used was Solar

Pathfinder™ by Solar Pathfinder.

Pathfinder™ provided

mathematical precision for accurate

shading assessment, solar system

sizing, collector placement, and

component specification.

SHADING ANALYSIS

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House’s East View

House’s West View

ANOTHER TRIP TO ROOF FOR SOLAR ANALYSIS

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North Roof South Roof

East Roof 96.1% West Roof 89.8%

GROUP ANALYSIS OF PROPOSED PV SYSTEM

WorkBook on Solar Technical Details lll.xls

Solar Inverter Options

Solar Modules

Financial Calculator = $

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WorkBook on Solar Technical Details lll.xls

SYSTEM DESIGNTypical utility interconnected solar electric system

(with optional backup battery storage)

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In the City of Seattle, the department of Planning Development

(DPD), there are two client assistance memo (CAM’s) for solar

systems covering both Photovoltaic and Thermal designs.• CAM 417 Sun Chart: determination of Solar Exposure

• CAM 420 Solar Electric Systems

• Permit Requirements• Electrical Permit

• Building Permit

• Land Use Requirements• Nonconforming Residential Uses

• Lot Coverage Requirements

• Height Requirements

• Interconnection and Net Metering Requirements

• Net Metering Benefits

• Net Metering Required Forms

• Installation Considerations

• Solar Access, Sizing and Performance

• Mounting Solar Modules

• Structural Considerations

• Electrical Considerations

HARDWARE SELECTION AND PRICING

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(8) Silicon Energy 185 Watt Modules w/ racking $8,880

(1) Outback SmartRE 2500 Inverter $4,440

2 strings of 4 modules, 121.2 volts, 15.8 amps

SmartRE 2500 Battery Enclosure

(4) Group 27 106 Ah batteries

Balance of System Components $1480

(1) Combiner box

(1) Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor

(1) 600 Volt DC Fused Disconnect

(1) AC Fused Disconnect

(1) 240 Volt Production Meter

Miscellaneous conduit and fittings

Labor $1480

Grand Total $16,280

($11 / watt installed)

WIRE SIZING and WIRING DIAGRAMS

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Notes:

1) Meter sockets must be located near each

other and outside or otherwise consistent

with location allowed by Seattle City Light

Requirements for Electric Service.

2) Standard utility socket with face cover (no

round sockets). Socket wired per sheet 2.

3) When production meter is removed,

bottom terminals will be energized and line

terminals will be de-energized (opposite

of billing meter).

4) Billing meter will run backwards and

subtract when energy flows to utility,

production meter only runs forward.

5) Delivered energy flows from utility.

6) Received energy flows to utility.


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Production Meter Wiring and New components for Net Metering per Seattle City Light

CURRENT ELECTRICAL SERVICE PANEL

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OutBack Power Products

Smartre 2500

Up to 93% Inverter Efficiency

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We have seen photovoltaic cells and arrays, also known as solar modules, convert

sunlight into electrical energy. Now being used in a number of building

applications, including shingles and fenestration, photovoltaic's are becoming a

common onsite renewable energy source. Whether roof-mounted or built into the

design, solar cells are connected in series to achieve proper voltages. The energy

produced can either be stored in batteries or tied directly to the municipal grid. In

some cases, you may qualify for tax credits or rebates when purchasing and

installing photovoltaic modules. You also may be able to sell the extra energy you

produce back to your local utility.

The owner’s electric power consumption of 4845 kWh per year based on the past 2

years. This is 13.27 kWh/day. Several key parameters have been evaluated at this

home site, which has excellent solar access. Based on the shade analysis performed

we calculated 96.1% solar available sunlight. There is 228 square feet on the east

roof for solar array layout.

Application of Solar Photovoltaic

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Table 1 Average Daily Total Solar Radiation for U.S. Cities

City MJ/m²·day

23 Tilt

MJ/m²·day

45 Tilt

Btu/ft²·day

23 Tilt

Btu/ft²·day

45 Tilt

Seattle 11.65 11.63 1026 1024

In 1980 the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) was incorporated

as a non-profit organization with the primary purpose being the development and

implementation of certification programs and national rating standards for solar

energy equipment. A simple installation of several PV solar arrays on this project

could use the equivalent sun hours per day based on SRCC certification data as

table 1 from the Average Daily Total Solar Radiation for City of Seattle with two

tilt angles. The infrastructure of the entire system on your roof needs to meet the

CAM requirements of the City of Seattle.

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Energy Payback Times for Photovoltaic Technologies

Energy payback time (EPBT) is the length of deployment required for a

photovoltaic system to generate an amount of energy equal to the total energy

that went into its production. Roof-mounted photovoltaic systems have

impressively low energy payback times, as documented by recent (year 2004)

engineering studies. The value of EPBT is dependent on three factors: (i) the

conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic system; (ii) the amount of

illumination (insolation) that the system receives (about 1700 kWh/m2/yr

average for southern Europe and about 1800 kWh/m2/yr average for the United

States); and (iii) the manufacturing technology that was used to make the

photovoltaic (solar) cells.

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Flat-Plate PV Systems

The most common array design uses flat-plate PV modules or panels. These panels can

either be fixed in place or allowed to track the movement of the sun. They respond to

sunlight that is either direct or diffuse. Even in clear skies, the diffuse component of

sunlight accounts for between 10% and 20% of the total solar radiation on a horizontal

surface. On partly sunny days, up to 50% of that radiation is diffuse. And on cloudy

days, 100% of the radiation is diffuse. One typical flat-plate module design uses a

substrate of metal, glass, or plastic to provide structural support in the back;

encapsulates material to protect the cells; and a transparent cover of plastic or glass.

The simplest PV array consists of flat-plate PV panels in a

fixed position. The advantages of fixed arrays are that they

lack moving parts, there is virtually no need for extra

equipment, and they are relatively lightweight. These features

make them suitable for many locations, including most

residential roofs. Because the panels are fixed in place, their

orientation to the sun is usually at an angle that practically

speaking is less than optimal. Therefore, less energy per unit

area of array is collected compared with that from a tracking

array. However, this drawback must be balanced against the

higher cost of the tracking system .

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I strive to obtain the best price and best technical product for our clients. Moreover,

this site could be a net producer of electrical power using any of several systems.

Every kilowatt-hour produced will earn at least 18 cents. If the solar modules and

inverters are manufactured within the state of Washington the incentive raises to 54

cents per kilowatt-hour. Silicon Energy LLC of Arlington produces such modules,

and has been self certified by National Laboratory met this requirement.

The new Silicon Energy design array is highly efficient and the solar cells are

encapsulated between two tempered glass plates. With 228 square feet of available

roof and modules being 16 square feet each, a total of 8 panels could be installed on

your roof with an output of 1.48 kW.

Panel size: Silicon Energy = 47 inches by 47 inches

Power output: Silicon Energy = 0.165 kW per panel

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Suggested Solution of Solar

BACK-UP SLIDES

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INDIVIDUAL PROJECT – DURING THE COURSE EACH

STUDENT WILL SELECT A PV INSTALLATION OF THEIR

CHOICE AND DEVELOP AN APPROPRIATE SYSTEM

DESIGN, THIS WILL INCLUDE A SITE ASSESSMENT,

SHADING ANALYSIS, LOAD CALCULATIONS,

CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITY

ASSESSMENT HARDWARE SELECTION, WIRE SIZING,

WIRING DIAGRAMS

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Use parallel wiring to increase

current (power).

This diagram shows a simple parallel

circuit to increase current or power.

Assume that we are using 12 volt

batteries. The power of all 3 batteries

add to give us the effect of a battery 3

times as powerful but the voltage stays

the same at 12 volts. Parallel wiring

increases current but the voltage does

not change. This is the wiring used

when jump starting a car for example.

Use series wiring to increase voltage

The voltage of all 3 batteries add to give

us the effect of a battery 3 times the

voltage or in this case a very large 12 volt

battery. In this circuit the current is the

same as the current in just 1 of the

batteries. But since the 4 volt industrial

batteries are very large, we have in effect

created a huge 12 volt battery.


Use series & parallel

wiring in combination

The left to right series

connection add the two 12

volt batteries to make 24 volts.

And, since we did this 3 times

and then connected each

group of 2 (now 24 volts) in

parallel we end up with one

very large 24 volt battery. It

has twice the voltage of a

single 12 volt battery and 3

times the current or power

because all 3 groups are wired

in parallel.

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This diagram shows a combination

series and parallel circuit to

increase both the battery current

and voltage level at the same time.

Assume this time we are using 12

volt batteries

Photovoltaic Project

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