The new rooftop solar photovoltaic system at Harleysville Insurance corporate headquarters in Harleysville, Pa., is expected to generate approximately 15 percent of the company’s annual energy needs.
Tecta Solar, a division of TectaAmerica Corp., Rosemont, Ill., installed the 511.5 kWp DC rooftop solar system, which is made up of approximately 47,600 square feet of solar panels to cover nearly half of the total roof surface of the building. Each of the 1,860 ET Solar 275 watt panels from Pleasanton, Calif.-based ET Solar, weighs 50 pounds and measures 77 by 39 inches. SunLink Corp., San Rafael, Calif., supplied the racking system, and SMA America LLC, Rocklin, Calif., supplied the inverter that converts the DC power generated by the panels into AC power. The solar panels are projected to produce approximately 623,000 kilowatt hours of energy each year-enough to power 62 average Pennslyvania homes.
Tecta Solar provided a full-service solution for the insurance company, managing the project from start to finish, including development, securing a grant, design, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the roof-mounted project.
“The benefits to be derived from ‘going green’ are impressive and serve to underscore Harleysville’s commitment to the preservation of our environment and conservation of our natural resources,” says Michael L. Browne, Harleysville Insurance president and chief executive officer.
Financial assistance from both the federal and state governments helped offset a significant portion of the project’s $2.8 million cost. “There’s a 30 percent federal tax credit-amounting to
$840,000-coupled with as much as a $90,000 benefit due to bonus depreciation that will help defray about one-third of our investment,” explains Arthur Chandler, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Harleysville Insurance. “On top of those federal incentives, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Financing Authority provided us with a $355,000 solar energy program grant.”
Andrew Shields, assistant secretary and director of facilities services, expects long-term energy cost savings for the company, along with contributing to a healthier environment. “Because the system will generate about 15 percent of our annual energy needs at a fixed cost, we expect both cost savings and protection from rate increases on some of our power costs. In fact, we expect to re-coup our overall investment within the first seven years of operation.”
In addition to the new photovoltaic system, Shields notes that the insurance company has completed other environmental projects that have resulted in total energy cost reductions of 25 percent since 2008. These projects include an ice storage and air conditioning system, and upgrades to lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls.
“We are especially pleased with the collective results of our efforts to reduce energy consumption during the peak hours of the mid-afternoon,” says Shields. “In addition to reducing our annual total building load from 6 million kilowatt hours to 4.5 million kilowatt hours, these initiatives also assist the local and regional power grid meet their growing demands.”
Harleysville Insurance, Harleysville, Pa.
Developer/installer: Tecta Solar, Rosemont, Ill.
Inverter: SMA America LLC, Rocklin, Calif., www.sma-america.com, Circle #XX
Mounting system: SunLink Corp., San Rafael, Calif., www.sunlink.com, Circle #XX
Photovoltaics: ET Solar, Pleasanton, Calif., www.etsolar.com, Circle #XX
