PROJECT PROFILE

Project cost

$300,000

Return on investment

Five years

Product

100 kW solar system

Five-year savings

$150,545

Rebates and incentives

Georgia Power small-scale program (100 kW and under)

Twenty-year contract income

$0.13 per watt sold to Georgia Power

High Voltage Specialists, Inc. worked with Jim Woods, Director of Clean Energy at Shealy Electrical — now Border States — to design a solar installation on the roof of the HVSI office in Augusta, Georgia.

HVSI provides high voltage related services across the southeast. In addition to industrial and utility services, HVSI has a division that interconnects solar installations/solar farms with utilities. Frank Knox and Clifford Thomas installed solar PV systems at their residences as a trial before installing them on their business. Knox and Thomas were so pleased with the results, they decided to proceed with the installation of solar modules on the roof of their warehouse.

THE SOLUTION

Georgia Power (GP) began solar incentive programs in their service area to promote renewable energy projects, which was based on a lottery system. GP agreed to invest in a certain capacity of solar installations and divided it into three size categories: small, medium and utility scale.

There was an overwhelming response, and the initial application from HVSI did not make the cut on the first round. On the second round of selections, they were picked for the small-scale program (100 kW and under installations).

The main steps of this solar installation:

• Ensure that there is adequate, south-facing area for the module installation.
• Design the system where modules and inverters are properly matched for size/capacity.
• Acquire an interconnection agreement to make ensure utility requirements are met.
• Procure the material and wiring to maximize the physical install.

This would typically be a $400,000 system, but HVSI saved about $100,000 by installing it themselves. The payback with tax credits, incentives and depreciation is about five years.

THE PRODUCT

We supplied everything for this turnkey, roof-mounted system project — 400 solar modules, six inverters, racking and the balance of system material.

THE RESULTS

Quick ROI, tax credits, future stable income, utility pricing offset, sustainable power generation and gaining expertise in installations are a few benefits of installing a solar system. Additionally, there is now a roof on top of a roof, so the warehouse stays cooler. The modules have a 25-year warranty. HVSI sells power back to GP for a few cents more than they are paying with a 20-year contract.