Proven Solutions for Diverse Projects and Challenges
Google Campus, California
Location: Mountain View, California
Scale: 1.6MW
Installer: EI Solutions
Completed: May 2007
With 9,000 panels to rack and a variety of roof styles to contend with, Unirac performed an engineering analysis of the structures to match the best custom solutions with each roof. A non-penetrating racking system was used for the standing-seam roofs. The south pitched roofs used a flush SolarMount solution, while the north pitched roofs used a tilted SolarMount solution with panels installed at 0-degree pitch to maximize module density. Innovative tools to pre-space the SolarMount rails helped speed installation, keeping labor costs to a minimum. Carport structures were fitted with the SunFrame racking product for optimal aesthetics.
The site’s northern latitude presented challenges that were resolved via a customized IRM solution and the efforts of Unirac’s Commercial and Utility Group Support Team. IRM’s configurable 30-degree tilt optimized solar capture and output. Even more critical was IRM’s superior strength to weight ratio. This best in class functionality was a primary factor in IRM’s ability to support snow-drifts up to eight feet high and loads of more than 100 pounds per square foot. The IRM system is able to support the unique project requirements by providing superior structural integrity without incurring unnecessary costs. In addition, IRM’s ability to satisfy 90-120 mph basic wind speeds offered extra reassurance on a site at 70 feet above ground.
Consolidated Solar Technologies, LLC (CST) used Unirac’s SolarMount solution on Albuquerque’s International Airport. The 146.4 kW array, the city’s largest grid-tied solar PV array, consisted of 480 crystalline modules, saving the city more than $65,000 annually in energy costs.
Stretching 8 acres and requiring 13,167 thin-film solar panels, Granite Construction Inc’s asphalt plant in Coalinga, California, comprises one of the most advanced thin-film net metering projects in the country today. Built using the ISYS Ground Mount (IGM) from Unirac, the solar installation is expected to reduce the facility's carbon footprint by more than 50 percent – an amount equivalent to powering more than 190 homes annually.
