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SEIA Resources

Case Studies

SEIA produces a variety of research and other supporting resources for the solar industry, ranging from full reports to short factsheets. Below is a list of our case studies, organized by date. For a full library of research and resources, click here

Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Maui Brewing Company

SunDrum® Solar has completed a 220 module hybrid solar PV-T array at Maui Brewing Corporation, Kihei HI. This array includes 220 SDM100-400 800Wt collectors matched with Solar World 325We modules and 16 GK 3133 glazed collectors with 30 tons of heat pump capacity. The system provides 160F brew water to the brew house hot liquor tank and <40F chilled water to the cold liquor tank.

Thursday, Feb 13, 2020

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - San Jose ADU

In December 2019, SunDrum Solar and Freedom Solar  commissioned a 10.7kW hybrid solar PV-T system on an  Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) being built by Acton ADU in San  Jose, CA. The solar system supplies 100% of the electrical,  space heating, space cooling, and DHW for the entire home.  The system includes 670 sq. ft. of Insol Corp Infinite R 23C  phase change material installed in the ceilings, which serves as  thermal storage for the space heating and cooling.

Tuesday, Dec 10, 2019

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Great Lakes Naval Station Hybrid Solar System

In 2019, SunDrum Solar commissioned a 1,300-collector hybrid solar PV-T Campus at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago Illinois. The systems provide hot water to dormitories and base laundry. The commissioning phase included demonstrating winter performance where the systems were exposed to (-28F) temperatures. The systems have provided over 4000 therms of energy during a cold winter month while providing over 5500 therms of energy during a summer month. The thermal systems include 6 dormitory systems and one additional system supporting the base laundry.

Tuesday, Apr 09, 2019

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - The Elks Lodge

The Elks Lodge in Palo Alto CA decided to retrofit their 1000+ panel 362kW Canopy PV array with 120 SunDrum® Solar SDM100-300 collectors (78kWth) to heat their 3300 ft2 pool. The system goal was to eliminate natural gas consumption except for 8 weeks in the winter.

Friday, Mar 01, 2019

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Wailea Inn Hybrid Solar System

In February 2019, SunDrum Solar commissioned a 40-collector hybrid solar PV-T system at Wailea Inn on the island of Maui, HI. This system now serves as the main source of heat for their DHW and their pool, and is configured such that space heating and A/C can be added easily in the future. The warm, sunny climate in the town of Kihei enables this system to run at excellent COP’s year round, and to provide a substantial portion of their heating load directly from the sun.

Tuesday, Oct 16, 2018

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Bradenton Residence

In 2016, Mirasol FAFCO Solar installed a CoolPV® system on a Florida residence owned by Jerry Pollard. Pollard’s system is comprised of 40 275 Watt CoolPV panels.

Tuesday, Sep 11, 2018

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Alaska Village Housing Project

Even at the high latitude of Anchorage, AK, more than 60 degrees north of the equator, solar hot water systems are an effective form of energy. On the winter solstice,  Anchorage receives about six and a half hours of  daylight, while six months later on summer solstice, the sun shines for 21 straight hours. When designed correctly, solar hot water systems can be convenient and economical, even in Anchorage. 

Tuesday, Aug 14, 2018

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Arminta Apartments

Synthesis Construction removed an old flat-plate solar hot water system and installed a new Apricus evacuated-tube solar hot water system. This system involves 16 ETC-30  evacuated-tube collectors, a SolarHot pump station with built-in brazed-plate heat exchanger, and an 800 gallon Niles Steel storage tank. 

Wednesday, Jul 11, 2018

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Bakersfield Hotel

In California’s hot Central Valley, a hotel installed a hybrid photovoltaic and solar-thermal system, which involves 42 hybrid PV/Thermal collectors, and 18 additional PV-only panels. Each hybrid collector consists of a PV panel on the front and a solar-thermal collector affixed to the back. The PV panels get energy from direct  sunlight. The thermal collectors get heat from the PV panels and from the ambient air. 

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Cargill Meat Processing

Working towards the goal of fully sustainable producti on, Cargill worked to have one of California’s largest solar water heating arrays installed on its  flagship beef production facility in the state.

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