Platte River Power Authority Headquarters
56.7kW-DC Rooftop Solar Array + 60kWh Battery
The Challenge: Grid Outages & Operational Disruptions
Platte River Power Authority a local public power utility that supplies Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, and Estes Park. Delivering energy and services to utility customers, PRPA recognizes the need for localized distributed energy generation resources. This foundational understanding is demonstrated at their headquarters, with an established 50 kW solar system. Yet the existing solar system was not enough; they were still experiencing outages at their headquarters that stopped critical operations and operational access to their warehouses.
The Goal: Uninterrupted Power with Battery Storage
Understanding the need for sustained energy during grid outages, they desired to connect their existing PV array to a battery system. The decision to connect a battery to their existing array allowed them to keep the power on during outages by discharging stored solar energy when the grid goes down.
The Solution: Retrofitting & System Integration
For this project, we retrofitted the existing solar system to add battery backup. In order to do so, we rewired the solar array directly to the battery with a brand new inverter. The Sol-Ark Battery and inverter were connected to an existing backfeed panel to allow for grid integration. With the project completed, Platte River Power Authority stays connected to the grid when it is up and running, and when the grid experiences a power outage, the system can stay powering the facility.
Building Community Resilience
This project exemplifies self-sufficiency, a cornerstone of Sandbox+ Solar’s work. We aim to keep our local communities resilient from external pressures. Reach out to our commercial team to learn more about our services for your business.