Solar Carport for Vittles Family Restaurant Parking Lot

Vector and our structural engineering partner, Steel Truss and Supply of Redding, designed a solar carport for Vittles Family Restaurant in Anderson, CA. At 95 kW, it generates about 149,000 kWh/year, offsetting 100% of this customer’s electric bill. We completed the structure and commissioned the PV system in April 2019. The PV system includes 272 SolarWorld 350W XL PV modules and five Fronius Primo inverters of 12.5 kW and 15.0 kW.

Commercial Rooftop 73kW Design and Installation:

Vector designed and installed a 73 kW system on a 49,000 square foot manufacturing building in Redding CA. We used 228 Jinko 325W 72 cell modules and a Yaskawa-Solectria 60 kW 3-phase / 480V inverter to match the owner’s large industrial electrical system. The roof attachments are Ironridge tilt-up legs and rails, with 15 degree tilt relative to the flat (0.5:12) metal PBR roof. This tilt increases performance in two ways: providing better geometry for irradiance, and keeping the modules slightly cooler because of increased airflow. The system will generate 119 MWh per year, offsetting 90% of this business’ electricity usage.

Steel Fabricator in Woodland, CA

Gerlinger Steel and Supply, a 4th-generation family owned business with plants in Redding CA and Woodland CA, has gone solar. Vector provided Owner’s Representative services and construction project management so that they could focus on their primary business and leverage Pete’s expertise to ensure an optimum system design and minimized cost. The 700kW solar PV system is mounted on a new purpose-built 300’x200’ (60,000sf) pre-engineered metal building. This building provides sheltered truck loading and unloading, as well as a storage area for raw materials.

Residential Carport 14kW Design and Installation

Vector designed and installed this 14 kW system on a new carport at a residence in Redding. We used 44 Jinko 325W 72 cell modules and a Fronius Primo 12.5 kW inverter. The roof attachments are S-5-U clamps and rail-less mounting system, which work really well on the standing seam metal roof since they clamp tightly on the seams but do not penetrate. The system will generate 20,900 kWh per year, offsetting 100% of this homeowner’s electricity usage.

Residential Rooftop 6.4 kW Design and Installation

Vector designed and installed this 6.4 kW system on a 12:12, architecturally complex suburban roof. We used 22 Jinko Solar 290W 60 cell modules with Enphase IQ6 microinverters. The roof attachments are Ironridge XR-100 rails on QuickMountPV flashed L-Mounts, which are critical to preventing leaks in the composition shingle roof over the 25+ year life of the system. The system will generate 8,200 kWh per year, 4,300 of which will offset their home’s electricity usage, leaving 3,900 to charge the electric vehicle they will purchase later this year.

Tiburon Grid-tied Residential Solar PV Design and Installation

Vector designed and installed this 4.2 kW residential solar system in the San Francisco Bay Area. The owners just had their second annual true-up, and their bill was reduced from $2,100 per year to under $400. Their system will provide simple pay back in less than 5 years.

Residential Rooftop 9.3 kW Design and Installation

Vector designed and installed this 9.3 kW system on a 12:12 suburban roof. We used 32 Hanwha Q.Cells 290W 60 cell modules and an SMA Sunny Boy 7.7 kW inverter. The roof attachments are Ironridge XR-100 rails on QuickMountPV flashed L-Mounts, which are critical to preventing leaks in the composition shingle roof over the 25+ year life of the system. The system will generate 14,300 kWh per year, offsetting 100% of this homeowner’s electricity usage.

Commercial Solar PV Construction Project Supervision and Process Improvement

Vector has an ongoing contract with Sunstall, Inc., under which we are supervising select construction projects and providing process improvement recommendations. Sunstall, a Top 50 U.S. provider of solar installation services whose key differentiator is driving piles to support solar racking and modules, an approach which is far faster, accurate, and less expensive than legacy concrete pier rack foundations. Pete’s advisory services include field construction process improvement, quality control, and leadership mentoring.

Alaska Public Safety Telecommunications Site Maintenance

Pete managed a maintenance contract for 29 Alaskan surveillance and telecommunications sites (Coast Guard National Distress System, AIS vessel tracking transponders, and radar), and four command and control centers. 15 of the sites were off-grid, located on remote mountaintops 2,000 to 3,000 feet high, each requiring local power generation and energy storage. Pete ran the complex logistics of getting technicians and fuel to all 15 sites in the harsh Alaskan environment, many accessible only by helicopter or barge. Power for each site was generated locally from a combination of wind turbines, solar PV systems, and propane generators, combined with battery banks for local energy storage. Pete ensured the team met stringent Service Level Agreement requirements for all systems: surveillance, telecommunications, and power.

Washington State Public Safety Telecom Site Design and Construction

Pete led design and development of an off-grid surveillance site to fill a critical homeland security coverage gap along the US-Canadian border. The project included requirements and cost analysis for surveillance and renewable power technologies; an engineering feasibility assessment; design; construction; and equipment installation and commissioning. The site’s location on a remote island in the San Juan Islands meant that there were no commercial power or telecommunication links. To power the optical and thermal infrared cameras, microwave radio, and site security and surveillance systems, Pete’s team designed and installed a 17 kW solar PV system, 30kW / 48 kWh battery backup, and 20 kW propane generator.