Inovateus Solar Completed Project Release
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME WORKS WITH INOVATEUS SOLAR TO ACCEPT THE DONATION OF TWO SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES ATOP ITS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Inovateus Solar Gathers Supplier Partners, United Solar Ovonic and SoloPower Technologies to the Project to Donate the Solar Power Teaching Tool to University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Ind. – Inovateus Solar LLC, a national solar power distributor and integrator, worked closely with the University of Notre Dame to complete the installation of two flexible PV systems on Fitzpatrick Hall, the Notre Dame College of Engineering.
The University’s College of Engineering will use the new 10 kW solar installation as both a power generating system and research and development tool. The unique installation on the rooftop of Fitzpatrick Hall employs two new thin-film solar technologies that students and teachers can monitor for real-time demonstration and instruction. Inovateus Solar and its partners donated the time, engineering, and materials to the University of Notre Dame to make this solar power teaching tool possible.
The new technologies that Inovateus Solar supplies, each of which produces 5 kW of energy, include a peel-and-stick panel application by United Solar Ovonic of Rochester Hills, Michigan. The company’s product is called Uni-Solar PVL-144. The second technology, by SoloPower, based out of San Jose, California, is its new SFX1-i3 210-watt panels. New to the industry, SoloPower is committed to being energy-and-cost-competitive. Both companies donated the solar panels for the project.
As the project integrator, Inovateus Solar also called upon several other key partner suppliers, all of whom either donated their products, labor or deeply discounted them for this one-of-a-kind university demonstration. Shoals Technologies in Portland, Tennessee, provided its combiner boxes. California-based SMA America, the U.S. subsidiary of SMA Solar Technology AG in Germany, supplied the inverters.
“SMA America was thrilled to work with Inovateus Solar on such an exciting project,” said Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America. “Because it provides a hands-on learning opportunity, while reducing the school’s power consumption and carbon footprint, this solar installation further elevates Notre Dame among academic universities.”
Inovateus Solar donated the services of Midland Engineering Company to physically install the panels over the EPDM roof, and Koontz-Wagner Electric Company to provide its power generation and distribution expertise to the project. Both these companies are based in South Bend.
“We gathered our local resources and decided to do the job as a donation to the University. Our contribution and the generous donations of our partners made the project possible,” JP von Rahl, Inovateus Solar’s project manager explains. “Notre Dame is a prestigious University that we knew would benefit for our solar integration expertise. Not only will the installation generate free energy to the university for over 25 years, it provides the ND alumni a fine example of Inovateus Solar’s installation capabilities that could be applied to alumni owned businesses and facilities anywhere.”
“This is our first job with Inovateus Solar,” said Gregory R. Seiss, manager of service operations for Midland Engineering. “They have a great reputation, not only in the Midwest, but also nationally. We look forward to working together on more projects in the future. They are very organized and had a plan to execute all the systems being installed.”
Erin Hafner, programs manager for The Office of Sustainability at the University of Notre Dame, said the project is closely aligned with the school’s sustainability strategy in that the renewable energy generated will be carbon-free and directly support the goal of reducing the University’s carbon footprint. The power generated by the installation is equivalent to the energy needed to power two homes—about 15,000 kW hours per year.
“The solar installation also supports the University’s research mission,” Hafner added, “by providing a monitoring system for faculty and students to gather and analyze real-time data on outputs of the system.”
Inovateus Solar has extensive experience in helping colleges and educational institutions with the integration and installation of solar power. From large solar installations at Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the first net-zero school in Richardsville, Kentucky, to smaller educational installs such as Love Creek Nature Center in nearby Berrien Springs, Michigan, Inovateus Solar understands the critical nature of solar power engineering for research and sustainable energy edification.
To Learn More Contact Inovateus Solar Toll Free at: 877-876-SOLAR (76527) Phone:
574-485-1400
Fax: 574-485-1419 Email: info@inovateussolar.com
Web: www.inovateussolar.com
