News

SunWize Completes Solar Energy System in WA

January 07, 2002 by Jeff Shepard

SunWize Technologies Inc. (Kingston, NY) announced the completion of the largest remote hybrid-solar energy system in the state of Washington for Mt. Rainier National Park at the White River facility.

The 15.5kW system provides power for employee housing, water pumping, a ranger

station, an entrance station and tourist restrooms. The solar-hybrid system replaces a generator-only system with the solar system providing 85 percent of the electricity, which reduces generator runtime from 3,500 hours to 150 hours per season. The previous engine generator system ran 24 hours a day.

The system design is based on load data supplied by the National Park Service of 59kWh per day. The system consists of 15.5kW of solar modules covering 90 linear feet of the roof of the new garage building. The system also includes a 20kW, 208Vac, three-phase inverter; an industrial flooded battery bank; and an on-demand propane generator. The inverter includes an integral real-time data-acquisition system and remote-control capability that allows SunWize technical staff to monitor and control key system operating parameters from their headquarters.