Need for Speed Winners

January Winner

Charlie Quesnel of Maui Pacific Solar wins the prize for the most installations of TrueAC modules in January. Charlie’s company installed five AC Unison systems from BenQ Solar during the month of January, qualifying him to win an iPad mini. Charlie’s team put up a total of 172 AC Unison modules in five ACPV systems across Hawaii, generating 42.56kW of fresh, clean AC power to the grid. Mahalo, Charlie!

February Winner

Jim Stober of Advanced Solar and Wind Technologies in Choctaw, OK, installed 23 kW of AC modules from MAGE SOLAR on a commercial site in Oklahoma City. The client – a t-shirt printer and embroidery company – uses lots of electricity to run their high-volume equipment. The ACPV system will knock off a good percentage of the company’s bill and is a great example for local businesses in OKC. Said Jim: “I’d like to do a lot more of these here.”

March Winner

Pete Morenings of Ecological Energy Systems in Bristol, TN, is this month’s iPad mini winner. Pete’s company installed a 50kW system consisting of 208 MAGE SOLAR 240W AC modules on a local dairy farm’s massive barn. “We were able to mount all 208 panels in one day,” said Pete, “so it was a very quick and easy install.” The system comes with a 30-year warranty, and will offset 100% of the barn’s electrical costs – and then some – giving the dairy a critical financial edge in an increasingly competitive industry. That’s nothing to moo at! Read the full story.

April Winner

Sean Hanson of Golden Solar Electric is April’s Need for Speed winner! Sean’s company, located in Golden, Colorado, installed a 5.5kW system consisting of 22 AC modules from ET Solar on a house in Golden, Colorado. The ACPV System was installed on an S-Flex rack. Enjoy your iPad mini, Sean!

May Winner

May’s Need for Speed winner is Maui Pacific Solar! The company installed modules from BenQ Solar at three sites throughout the month of May. The team installed a total of 97 TRUEAC modules on residential sites throughout Maui. One of the installations (pictured) is a 9.84kw south-facing array at the Tran home. “It only made sense to install a solar electric system to help keep the overall cost of our vacation home down, and because it was the right thing to do for Maui and its beautiful environment,” Mr. Tran said. Congratulations to the entire Maui Pacific Solar team!

June Winner

Congratulations to Tee’s Electric, this month’s Need for Speed winner! The company installed the most TrueAC modules for the month of May, with 385 total module installations. They installed at 9 different sites throughout May, with an average site size of 38 modules and their largest installation consisting of 65 modules. One of Tee’s Electric’s installation sites was the Perry Residence (pictured), a 54 module, 13.77kW installation. The modules are located on three sides of the Perry home, the East, South, and West, with a triangular pattern on the West side to avoid obstructive roof structures. Good work, guys, and enjoy that iPad mini!

July Winner

July’s Need for Speed winner is Ecological Energy Systems, located in Bristol, TN. EES installed 200 Mage AC panels on a unique project commissioned in July – a 49kW solar pavilion classroom at Holston View Elementary School. The system, which was funded by a partnership between EES, the city, and the Board of Education, will offset a large portion of energy costs for the school and function as a learning tool for the students of Holston View. The school’s PV system includes the SolarBridge Power Portal which will enable students to see the system’s environmental benefits and its energy production in real time. Keep up the good work!

August Winner

Congratulations to our August Need for Speed winner, Solar Plus Kauai! Owner Doug Phillips and team installed a 33kW installation at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens on the south shore of Kauai. It’s a perfect complement to the natural ambiance of the 2,000-acre tropical preserve. The ET Solar array of 132 panels will provide 100 percent of the power needed at the gardens’ learning center and will pay for itself – without rebates – in 48 months. Now that’s a beautiful thing.

September Winner

Our Need for Speed contest comes to an end with Solect Energy as our September winner! Solect Energy installed an 80kW solar system for the Harvard Business School’s Tata Hall, using 320 integrated AC modules from ET Solar, powered by SolarBridge microinverters. Tata Hall presented a few challenging obstacles, with unfavorable elements of wind and shade. However, ACPV served as the perfect solution, with its ability to maximize the output of each solar panel, increase system-up time and reduce operations and maintenance expenses. The Harvard Business School project illustrates the growing trend to install ACPV on larger commercial and institutional systems. Congrats Solect Energy, and keep up the good work!