The 184.60KW ground mount PV system produces enough energy to offset the poultry's everyday operations along with the clients residential usage on another meter. This is made possible through the Utility’s Virtual Net Meter Program. Now is the time for Farmers to invest in solar due to the many incentives available for agriculture projects.

Smucker’s Energy met with the client to determine what type of system would best accommodate the needs of the poultry farm, including the location of the solar arrays and the system size necessary to supply the farm’s power needs. Site visits, energy usage information, and customer preference were all instrumental in this stage of the process. After all these factors were taken into consideration, a contract was generated to be signed by the client.

After the contract was signed, Smucker’s Design Team reviewed the project specs and began engineering the project. This includes the assessment of many factors, such as placement of inverters, electrical connections between rows of panels, ground mount racking details and electrical interconnection locations, etc. This information is used in the engineering of the stamped drawing set, which includes an electrical one-line drawing, site plan, and ground layout. When the drawings are complete, it is sent along with Interconnection Application to the utility to review. After utility has reviewed the project it will send an approval to operate email (In this particular instance the 600A utility service needed to be upgraded to a 800A service and a 167kVa transformer to accommodate the installation of the solar array. At the same time this is taking place, the stamped drawings are sent to local jurisdiction to acquire a work permit for the system. While these various forms are under review, the ordering of the specific components (modules, inverters, and racking) for the system takes place. After the permit and letters of agreement are received from all entities, the installation of the system begins.

Work began on the system installation after the building permit was received. Panel racking was installed on top of crushed concrete with an 18” ground screw to hold the racking in place and the solar panels were attached safely and securely. Underground conduit runs were installed, connecting the panels to 9 single-phase inverters at the back of the array. Once the conduit was in place, the wire was pulled through and connected, completing the electric circuits from the solar panels to the inverter inputs and from the inverter outputs to the main AC distribution panel.

Thorough testing of the system was conducted by Smucker’s Energy to ensure that all components were fully functioning. Once the installation and testing were complete, arrangements were made for official inspections. Officials from the local utility and a third-party inspection firm were required to inspect the work prior to startup. After the final inspection was complete, Part B of the Interconnection Application form was submitted and sent for approval with the inspection cut card. Following the approval, the system was switched on and began making clean, green energy.

In addition to savings on your electric bill your solar system can help generate additional revenue via SREC’s. Currently we suggest using Knollwood Energy as a SREC market provider. The Process takes little effort and is easy to sign up for, as Smucker’s Energy fills out the required applications and clients only need to submit monthly readings to Knollwood energy. System owners receive 1 REC for each 1,000KWH (1MWH) of power the system generates, which can be sold in the SREC market (much like that of a carbon market model). These credits are accumulated regardless of whether the client uses the energy the system produces or if it is pumped back into the local utility grid. SREC prices are determined by the market, therefore they will fluctuate quarterly.

Systems can be enabled with Internet Monitoring, allowing the owner to monitor the system’s energy output via the Web to ensure peak production at all times. For larger systems, the ability to track the specific output of a system can be invaluable if it is noticed right away that part of the system may be underperforming. This allows the client to quickly contact Smucker’s Energy to resolve any issues that may occur after the system is turned on.