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Solar Power on the Prairie - Solar Trackers Powering Sullivan, IL Home

Wednesday, Aug 12 2015

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Solar in the News

SULLIVAN, IL., August 10, 2015 – Three innovative solar trackers are now powering the home of Bob and Amanda Montgomery in Sullivan, Illinois.

The 16.8 kW (DC) solar project will help offset the Montgomerys’ electrical bills. The installed system is interconnected with Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative utility and is the largest residential solar system in the utility's territory.

With an expected generation of over 30,000 kWh per year, the solar trackers will generate 100 percent of the Montgomery's annual electricity needs.

The project utilized American-made AllEarth Solar Trackers, which track the sun throughout the day to maximize energy production.  The ground-mounted pre-engineered solar trackers are designed for residential and commercial-scale installations and are manufactured in Williston, Vt. by AllEarth Renewables. 

AllEarth Solar Trackers can produce over 30 percent more energy than fix ground-mounted systems and over 45 percent more energy than rooftop systems per kilowatt installed. 

The project was installed by Tick Tock Energy, Inc., a solar installation company located in Effingham, Illinois.

“We were thrilled to install three innovative, American-made solar trackers for this project.  The trackers are located next to the Montgomery’s home in a field of prairie grass putting the abundant sunshine we receive to great use,” commented Eric Pals, president of Tick Tock Energy.

Since the completion of the solar tracker project, the Montgomery’s are now in the process of installing a geothermal heat pump, which will tap the earth’s energy to assist with the home’s heating and cooling.   The enhanced production from the solar trackers provided the perfect pairing with the electric energy demand of geothermal heating and cooling.

“With geothermal, the Montgomery’s are transitioning to an all-electric home, which they’ll be able to power with electricity generated on-site from the sun.  They are practicing our trademarked approach to energy independence we like to call “Reduce Produce Manage ®,” where you reduce your utility use with energy-efficiency, produce your own energy from the sun, and manage by on-going monitoring and management of your energy use,” Pals added.

"We're pleased to see our local partner Tick Tock Energy utilizing the enhanced output of our trackers for home energy transformations as they did for the Montgomery's," added David Blittersdorf, president and CEO of AllEarth Renewables.

Photos (linked): Three AllEarth Solar Trackers are producing power in a 16.8 kW solar array for the Montgomery Residence in rural Sullivan, IL near the north end of Lake Shelbyville.  It is the largest residential solar installation for the local interconnecting utility.  (Higher-res, uncropped photo.)

About Tick Tock Energy, Inc.

Tick Tock Energy, Inc., headquartered in Effingham, Illinois, provides start-to-finish services in solar PV, small-wind turbines, lighting retrofits, daylight systems, and energy monitoring.  They aim to help residential, farm and commercial facilities reduce electricity costs through renewable energy installations, energy-efficient retrofits and energy management solutions.  For more visit, www.ticktockenergy.com

About AllEarth Renewables / AllEarth Solar Trackers

AllEarth Renewables, headquartered in Williston, Vt., manufactures the AllEarth Solar Tracker, a dual-axis solar tracker that uses innovative GPS and wireless technology to follow the sun throughout the day, producing up to 45 percent more energy than rooftop solar.  The company has manufactured and installed over 3,200 solar tracker systems to date.  Among its product awards, the dual axis tracker was named a “Top-10 Green Product” by BuildingGreen magazine and “Top Product of the Year” by Solar Power World. The company’s ground-mounted, pre-engineered solar trackers are designed for residential and commercial-scale installations. For more visit, www.allearthrenewables.com

 

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