The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers turned on the 11.28kW roof-mounted photovoltaic solar power system at its headquarters in Exton, Penn.
Installed by Alpha Technologies and rated at 11.28kW, the system, originally reported in CED’s August issue, was deployed to demonstrate the SCTE’s ongoing commitment to help lead the cable industry’s energy management aims. The industry has an explicit goal of becoming greener.
The system is expected to generate 13,300 kilowatt hours annually, which is roughly the equivalent of 23,866 lbs of CO2 offset annually. The 48-panel array has been designed to power the SCTE’s IT and communications infrastructure and to serve as an educational resource in conjunction with the SCTE’s Smart Energy Management Initiative (SEMI).
“This is SEMI 101: With electricity rates due to rise in the near term, it made good business sense for us to be shifting one of our greatest power draws ‘off the grid,'” said Mark Dzuban, president and CEO of the SCTE. “Through the combined efforts of Alpha Technologies and our own staff, we will be able to reduce our costs significantly while providing case studies of how cable can leverage the financial and environmental advantages of implementing ‘green’ strategies.”
Working together on the design and integration of the solar power system, SCTE and Alpha engineered a system to best capitalize on the solar power resource of the area to help the SCTE offset its energy demand and set an example for the telecommunications industry, as well as the local business community.
“We are proud to support the SCTE and promote the SEMI initiative with this PV solar power system deployment,” said Drew Zogby, president and COO of Alpha. “Renewable energy production will play a vital role for most forward-looking enterprises. Commercial buildings, like the SCTE headquarters, are the ideal application for solar power, as there is generally a large open roof space available and most commercial energy usage is in the middle of the day when solar energy generation is at its peak.”
To help showcase the solar power system, a detailed Performance Monitoring system will be located in the SCTE lobby, as well as published online, to display the power being generated by the system.
Announced earlier this year, the SCTE Smart Energy Management Initiative was created to help the industry to identify near- and long-term solutions for energy management, alternative energy and recycling.