Apr 20 2010
Empire Power Systems (EPS) today announced that it will install Arizona's largest commercial rooftop solar power system to date on an 850,000-square-foot building near 27th Avenue and Buckeye Road in Phoenix.
The 2.4-megawatt SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile system chosen for this rooftop represents approximately 6.5 acres of solar panels. The installation is scheduled to begin immediately.
The building is owned and operated by Cowley Companies. Last used as a warehouse for Fleming Foods, it houses 250,000 square feet of refrigerator and freezer space and is ideal for local or national foodservice tenants. The new solar power system will allow Cowley to provide tenants with electricity that is not only renewable, but also about 25 percent less expensive than typical industrial electric rates.
"With rising energy costs, it just made sense to power this warehouse with clean, renewable energy while lowering our electricity bills," said Mike Cowley, president, Cowley Companies. "This particular warehouse is leased to our clients, some of whom are in the frozen food business, and the decision to install solar on the roof also supports their sustainability goals."
The new system will feature the SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile, the solar industry's first non-penetrating rooftop product that combines a high-efficiency SunPower solar panel, frame and mounting system into a single pre-engineered unit. Tilted at a five-degree angle, the T5 roof tile system approximately doubles the energy generated per square meter compared to systems that are mounted flat onto commercial rooftops.
"We are pleased to partner with EPS to provide the T5 roof tile technology for this significant project in Arizona," said Jim Pape, president, residential and commercial business group for SunPower Corp. "Our proven technology and high-efficiency solar panels will help Cowley Companies to maximize the emission-free solar power generated on the roof, as well as savings on electricity costs."
The solar installation will be facilitated, in part, from a production-based incentive provided by Arizona Public Service (APS). Through the Renewable Energy Incentive Program, APS offers incentives to customers who add renewable energy systems to their homes or business. The program is funded by APS customers and approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission.
EPS has a 60-year history as a provider of primary and back-up power generation systems to hospitals, municipalities, schools, data centers, telecommunication centers and manufacturers. The company launched a renewable energies division in 2008 and has distributor agreements with solar industry leaders, such as SunPower.
"Providing reliable power is what we do, so solar power was a natural extension of our business," explained EPS General Manager Brett Burns. "Agreements with companies like SunPower enable us to provide commercial solar options that combine our expertise with the best products on the market."
The EPS solar team has over 120 years of collective experience in all facets of distributed power generation: design and engineering, fabrication, installation, maintenance and technical support. Their lead engineer founded the solar test and research center for one of Arizona's largest utilities and installed the state's first utility scale solar project in 1982.