Zapotec Completes Largest PV System in Town of Norwood

Posted 10/20/2015 in Project Updates
Zapotec Completes Largest PV System in Town of Norwood image

In September 2015, Zapotec Energy completed the design and installation of a solar PV system for Subaru of New England’s brand new warehouse and headquarters in Norwood, MA. Currently, this solar energy system is the largest in Norwood and is designed to produce 170 kW of electricity at peak capacity.

Zapotec was initially invited to start work on the project in April 2014 when Columbia Construction Company requested a design and financial proposal. The combination of the building’s new construction and massive size allowed for a great opportunity to create an extensive roof-top solar energy system. Subaru of New England’s PV system is expected to produce 228,552 kWh of electricity each year, which is enough energy to power 25 homes in Massachusetts.

“The site is outstanding in terms of being a solar resource because there is no shading on the array and the white roof reflects additional light indirectly onto the system,” says Paul Lyons, President of Zapotec Energy.  Coordination with structural and mechanical engineers working on the overall building design enabled Zapotec to design a system with generous setbacks from roof edges and rooftop mechanical units without sacrificing solar capacity.

The owner of Subaru of New England, Ernie Boch Jr. of Boch Enterprises, was determined to achieve the highest certification on the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, which evaluates different project types based on a system of specific credit categories.  By installing the 188 kW PV (DC rating) system, Subaru of New England earned enough extra LEED points that the building exceeded the 80 point threshold to receive LEED’s platinum certification, the highest level for participants.

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