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Heat and Energy Efficiency News

InSpec plans solar-battery system for Portland building

Oregon Sustainability Center, Portland, OR, to have new 679-kW solar system with SANYO HIT Solar Panels and 30-kWh SANYO large-scale lithium-ion rechargeable battery storage system

SANYO North America Corporation (SANYO) and InSpec Group (InSpec) are planning a new 679-kilowatt solar system to be designed and installed by InSpec for the Oregon Sustainability Center in Portland, Oregon.

The project also includes a 30-kilowatt hour large-scale lithium-ion battery storage system, which will be connected in line with the rooftop PV system, capable of supplying DC electricity for applications such as LED lighting.

InSpec will be managing the solar and smart energy system design and installation for the building which is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2013, and will employ SANYO solar modules and batteries.

The photovoltaic system will use SANYO’s world-leading conversion efficiency solar modules and SANYO’s newly developed “Smart Energy System” featuring large-scale lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. The announcement marks the first time that SANYO’s large-scale lithium-ion battery storage system will be installed in a new commercial building in combination with the SANYO solar panels in the United States.

The Oregon Sustainability Center aims to have 100% of the energy used by the facility produced by renewable energy sources. To accomplish this goal, the center will install a 679-kW solar system featuring SANYO HIT Power® and SANYO HIT® Double solar panels, using wafers manufactured from SANYO’s Salem Plant, SANYO Solar of Oregon, LLC, allowing for maximum power distribution per square foot.

“The Oregon Sustainability Center is proactive in their use of green building materials, and the choice of SANYO HIT modules makes sense, as they are perfect for these types of powerful rooftop system installations, where space is limited,” said Charles Hanasaki, president of the Solar and Smart Energy Division.

Yasuyoshi Kawanishi, president of SANYO Solar of Oregon, LLC, added, “Living in Oregon, our engineers are inspired by sustainability, and it makes us proud that our work is becoming a part of Oregon, especially in a landmark building like the Oregon Sustainability Center.”

InSpec worked with SANYO to propose the solar power generation and battery storage system for the facility. InSpec is the project manager for the energy systems, and will be leading each step from procurement to installation to ensuring successful equipment operation.

Specific activities overseen by the company include the procurement of the various parts necessary for the systems, such as solar panels, batteries, as well as the racking and inverter systems, the design and installation of the system in the facility and the final checks to ensure proper system operation.

“With our roots in Portland, being able to actively participate in making our community more sustainable is something to be proud of,” said Doug Smith, Partner and Chief Financial Officer of InSpec Group.

He added, “This system is unique, as it will be SANYO’s first commercial advanced battery storage system installed together with such a large solar power generation system in North America, and it marks another step forward for InSpec in delivering energy solutions.”

The Oregon Sustainability Center is planned to be a future home to Oregon’s leaders in sustainable business, government, and education.