Nextek’s powering system for Air Handling and Solar Power System deliver 40% ROI for the Town of Hempstead - Long Island, New York
Situation
In 2003 the settlement of a clean air lawsuit required the Virginia Electric Power Company to pay $2.1 million for air pollution mitigation projects in New York State. The $2.1 million was administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to install solar energy equipment on government-owned buildings in the state. In 2004 the Town of Hempstead received $260,000 in funding to update their Town Hall with a new solar power system and DC micro-grid.
Solution
The Town of Hempstead commissioned Nextek Power to provide the first commercial-scale integration of a DC solar power system with an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700 series motor drive* in the Town Hall's HVAC system. A Variable Frequency Motor Drive (VFD) can be an essential part of an energy-efficient air handling system.
Rather than switching the air handler off and on, the VFD allows the motor to be run at slower speeds when not needed. This avoids huge start-up inrush currents and helps the motor last longer.
These VFD's, such as the Allen Bradley Powerflex 700 series, typically require a rectifier between the AC input and the DC voltage-regulator. Nextek’s technology removes the need for a rectifier, creating a highly efficient system that can continue circulating air during a daytime power failure, even without batteries.
On the southern face of Hempstead's Town Hall a 256-panel, 40-kilowatt solar energy system supports Allen-Bradley motor drives without any hardware modification. The power generated by the solar panel carries 2 motors (a 40hp and a 25hp) during the peak of the day, seamlessly changing the power source to grid-supplied Alternating Current (AC) as the sun goes down.
The Nextek Power Gateway connects locally generated power and grid power directly to electronic loads in the building. Nextek’s Direct Coupling Technology creates highly efficient, flexible, uninterruptable DC power networks in the building.
Savings
- The Nextek Power Gateway performs at 98% efficiency, 10% higher than conventional solar systems, paying for itself (and more) over the 20-year life of the system.
- Increased efficiency allows a smaller and less expensive solar array to generate the same output of kW hours as larger systems while reducing the up-front cost of the system.
- AC-grid energy savings combined with other controls delivers the Town of Hempstead a 30% to 40% Return on Investment
Stated Supervisor Kate Murray:
“Hempstead Town continues to lead the way in implementing environmentally friendly technology... We are proud to have installed a solar energy system at town hall that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and we are committed to incorporating alternative-energy systems into our overall power scheme.”
Live Demo
View the actual power statistics for our installation located in the Hempstead Town Hall in New York.
With 23 installations in 13 states, Nextek Power is the key interface for alternative energy sources in a stationary environment.
*Allen-Bradley and PowerFlex are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.
Interested in learning more about Nextek's power solutions?
