A 961 kW solar array on the rooftop of Phoenix Contact’s U.S. headquarters will generate about 30% of the facility’s energy needs. Phoenix Contact partnered with Gatter & Diehl Consulting Engineers and Terrasol Energies Inc. to design the rooftop solar array. Phoenix Contact designed and installed monitoring components of the system. This includes many Phoenix Contact products.
“We estimate this solar power installation will reduce our electricity costs by approximately $150,000 per year. While a smart business choice for us, reducing our company’s carbon footprint is more important in the long term,” says Jack Nehlig, president of Phoenix Contact USA. “Sustainability and renewable power generation are at the heart of Phoenix Contact’s vision for an all-electric society. This is one critical step on our journey to becoming a carbon-neutral company by 2030.”
Terrasol Energies Inc. also installed the solar array on the roof of Phoenix Contact’s Logistics Center for the Americas last year. The solar array is made up of 2,185 SunPower photovoltaic cells, which can produce up to 961kW. The $1.8 million investment in the solar array was offset by a $250,000 PEDA restart grant, and a $270,000 grant through the PPL ACT 129.
Phoenix Contact built a 1MW combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP), facility in 2014. The system provides 65% of the facility’s energy needs and saves the company more than $300,000 annually. Phoenix Contact can generate enough energy with the CCHP, solar array and the CCHP to go off-grid on sunny days during the shoulder season (spring and autumn).