MIDDLEBURY ANIMAL HOSPITAL GOES GREEN

INSTALLS SOLAR ELECTRIC POWER PANELS!

Middlebury, CT – Middlebury Animal Hospital recently completed installation of an11.5 kilowatt photovoltaic solar power energy array. Photovoltaic panels take energy supplied by sunlight and convert this directly into an electrical current. When fully operational, this solar power array could produce up to 40% of our total yearly electrical needs but with zero green house gas emissions. During peak summer blue sky weekends we may even be able to supply clean electricity back into the CL&P power grid.

High energy prices, global warming and geopolitical concerns all contributed to the decision to invest in solar energy. We felt strongly that we should do our part, no matter how small, to transition to cleaner sources of power. Annual estimated power production by these photovoltaic solar arrays for our site is close to 12,500 kilowatt hours. High efficiency solar panels produced by Sunpower Corporation were installed by Sunlight Solar Energy, Inc., a Milford, CT based firm approved by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF).

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund administers the Connecticut On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program which includes a financial incentive/support program for the creation of clean, renewable energy generating equipment installations. Additional incentives are provided by the State of Connecticut in the form of Connecticut sales tax and local property tax exemptions for the purchase and installation of the solar arrays and their associated equipment. The federal government also helps out by providing a generous business energy tax credit and accelerated depreciation deductions. Without these significant rebates and tax incentives, our project would have been too costly to consider.

We would strongly encourage other businesses and individuals to investigate the benefits and feasibility of generating clean energy at their businesses and homes.

For more information go to CT Clean Energy and also see Solar Information

The installation includes a separate electric meter (see photo below) which allows us to quantify the amount of power generated from the panels. The two units on the right of the photo are power inverters which change the direct electric current (DC) produced by the photovoltaic panels into alternating current (AC) used in the hospital. The inverters also show how much energy is being generated at any point in time and a cumulative total for the day.

Close up of Power Inverter