Posty Cards is one of the first businesses to take advantage of Kansas City Power & Light’s new solar rebate program of $2 per watt. The rebate offsets  the  cost by nearly 25%!  In addition, the company received a federal grant of 30% and accelerated depreciation.

“With our new solar PV array now generating over 11% of our total power, we’ve taken a huge step toward our goal of offering customers the most sustainably produced products and services in our industry,”  says Erick Jessee, President.

The array consists of 198 Sharp 224 Watt solar panels (all made in the USA) for a total of 44.3 kilowatts. It is tied to the grid and offsets 11% of total electricity usage.

The array features six SMA 7,000 Watt inverters  to convert the DC electricity generated by the panels into usable AC electricity for the facility.  By using special clamps that attach to the seams of the metal roof, only one roof penetration was required in the installation of the panels.

 We installed a Sanyo ten panel, 2,000 watt solar energy system. It provides power to Outback brand back-up batteries, which are then used to power our showroom. The power goes to our computers, lights, and other general energy use. 

If there's a storm or other reason we lose power from the energy company (from the grid), those batteries will supply energy to our most important electrical devices, like the computers and lights. 

There are lots of excellent solar energy solutions for businesses, but for our building, we found a "solar awning" was the best kind of installation for us. Usually a solar awning is placed above windows to provide shade in addition to generating power.  Our awnings provide minimal shade at the back of the building where we park, but we love to see the
panels when we come to work every day.  

Since the panels are invisible from the front of the building, no one can tell if we're solar powered or not. Visitors to our showroom can view the solar energy monitor which shows how much energy is being produced while they are there.  This kind of monitoring system comes with every solar energy system we sell.

Commerce Bank chose The Energy Savings Store to install their new 16.5 kW  solar energy system.  The bank will now be powered by both solar energy and standard electricity from their utility company.
 
Visitors to the bank lobby will be able to see how much energy the solar panels are producing at the exact moment they are there, on the Solar Production Monitor. Look for a flat screen display on a lobby wall by the end of May.

The panels were laid flat on the horizontal roof and so are completely invisible from the ground. Aside from the lowered electrical bill and the monitor in the lobby, there is no visible evidence  that this bank is solar powered. 

It took a just a couple of days to install 54 solar panels  in the array using  four  installers.

The bank is located at 13441 State Line Road in Kansas City, Missouri.

All solar energy systems provided by TESS have access to online reports that show how much renewable energy their systems are producing.

Solar Array at the Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Headquarters in Kansas City

When the historic Sewall Paint Building in the West Bottoms of Kansas City was refurbishe, they had a couple of objectives. "We wanted to focus on sustainability and incorporate as much of the character of the original building as possible in the new design", says Scott Brown, General Counsel.  The original  heart pine timbers were used as stair treads, paneling and furniture.  Bike racks and showers encourage employees to bike to work and the new windows are energy efficient.

"We wanted to really make a statement by using solar energy, but didn’t know if we had the budget", says Brown.  "The Energy Savings Store not only designed and installed our 2 kilowatt grid-tied solar array, but assisted us in capturing all possible incentives.  The solar may even be eligible for historic tax credits."  Along with providing  a small portion of their electrical power needs, the new solar array is also a focal point for companywide sustainability efforts.

Bob Solger (center) talks to Dr. Dale Chapman, Dr. Sue Czerwinski and Mike Morgan in front of newly–installed solar PV system.

Just a short distance from the majestic limestone bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River is the main campus of Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois.  While the lush green grounds of the campus are obvious, a progressive shift to green the rest of the campus is underway.  The college is a founding member of the Illinois Community College Sustainability Network, and is committed to providing cutting edge, innovative green job training programs to area residents.

Dr. Dale Chapman, president of the college, has embarked upon a mission to transform the campus into a model for sustainability, and has empowered a team of people to develop and implement a plan to reduce their carbon footprint, become more energy independent, and creatively embrace the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.  The most recent step in their well-developed plan was to work with The Energy Savings Store to design a grid-tied solar PV system on the roof of the Advanced Technology (Trimpe) Building to harness the clean, renewable energy of the sun.

The project, which was funded by a grant from Madison County, includes sixteen Sharp solar panels, each rated at 224 watts.  The resulting 3.6kW system will be used as a teaching model in an upcoming four-week course on Photovoltaic Design & Installation, where students will learn the basics of PV design and installation.  Jim Duffey and Mike Morgan, who designed the curriculum and will teach the course, are eager to teach not only the students but the larger community.  “We want to demonstrate the viability of solar power as an alternative to fossil fuels, and this system will provide a great opportunity to ‘show and tell,’” said Morgan.  The system is expected to generate 4,500kWh of electricity annually, which is more than a third of what a typical home would use.

Jessica Pascoe, the director of the college’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability, was an advocate of the project from the start.  “The Solar Photovoltaic Training Lab is the first of many steps toward preparing workers for a new green economy,” she said.  She leads a number of action teams responsible for implementing the green initiatives that Dr. Chapman envisioned, all of which contribute to the students’ education.  Energy efficient lighting was installed throughout the campus, including compact florescent lights in buildings and LED lighting on parking lots.  The campus food service program is replacing Styrofoam containers with recycled paper products, and will use real silverware or biodegradable flatware rather than plastic utensils.  They’ll also begin composting food waste, which will be used as natural fertilizer for landscaping.  Ultimately, the college’s goal is to eliminate the use of chemicals and pesticides on all of their campuses.  The programs are funded in part by a new “green fee” instituted in the fall of 2008, in which each student pays $1 per credit hour.  Students, faculty and staff provide input on the way the funds are used.

The most spectacular example of sustainability is the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, located at the confluence of the three great rivers – the Illinois, Missouri and Mississippi.  Lewis & Clark formed key partnerships to bring about this state-of-the-art facility, which is designed to have minimal impact on the environment.  The facility is designed to be very energy efficient, and includes a green roof with abundant skylights to maximize natural daylight.  Renewable energy is harnessed from a variety of sources, including wind and low-impact hydro for electricity generation, and The Energy Savings Store is providing a solar water heating system. NGRREC officials are seeking a LEED Platinum Certification from the US Green Building Council. 

Lewis and Clark College is about 45 minutes from St. Louis, Missouri. The Energy Savings Stores works throughout Missouri, Kansas and Illinois.

2.4kW Skystream wind turbine from Southwest Windpower

Wind energy has been used for thousands of years to pump water, mill grains, and move ships across lakes and seas.  Windmills became a fairly standard fixture on farms across rural America during the 20^th century.  Eventually, the windmill was used to generate electricity, and ultimately gave birth to more modern wind turbines in the 1980's.  Since then, dramatic advances in the efficiency of wind power production have created tremendous opportunity for use in residential and commercial applications.

The United States initially took a lead in the development of wind turbines, but the wind power industry in Europe established much higher gains in terms of the percentage of power provided by wind.  According to the 2008 World Wind Energy Report, the US has reclaimed its position to boast the largest installed windpower capacity (25,170 megawatts), but the energy produced from wind represents only about 1.3% of our total consumption.  This remains tiny in comparison to Denmark, with 19%, Spain and Portugal with 11% each, and Germany and Ireland with 7% each.  In the US, it is estimated that three states alone, Texas, Kansas and North Dakota, have enough wind power potential to supply the entire country's current demand. 

 While the wind may come and go, it is by and large very predictable and reliable.  The American Wind Energy Association provides wind maps that show general trends.  Another source, FirstLook, provides more detail readings for specific areas.  You can select a point on the map to get an estimate of the average wind speeds for that area.

To get reasonably good power production, you should have a minimum of 10 mph average winds, though 12 mph winds produce a substantial increase in power production.  Within a given area, a flatter topography with fewer obstructions (like a river valley) posess higher winds than hilly or forested lands.  The Griggs-Putnam Index can be used to look for prevailing winds by observing deformities in vegetation.  In windier areas, you'll see an imbalance in the growth of tree branches, with a greater proportion of branches leaning downwind.

Another consideration is turbulence.  Obstructions that redirect the wind flow will create a spinning effect, which adversely affects the performance of the wind turbine.  With this in mind, a rule of thumb is to mount the turbine on a tower 20 feet higher than any obstruction within 250 feet.  The picture below illustrates wind flow, turbulence, and how different tower heights fit into the flow.

It's important to minimize turbulence when selecting a site

The Skystream 3.7 wind turbine (pictured above) is a very popular turbine due to its all-inclusive design.  The unit is intended to be used as a grid-tied solution - supplementing existing electric power from the local utility.  The inverter, which converts DC power to the AC power that most appliances use, is housed in the turbine itself so the output is easily streamed into the existing electrical system.  The turbine has a power* rating of 2.4KW, which means it is capable of producing 2.4kW of power at its peak performance, with 29 mph winds.  In typical 12 mph winds, the system will produce roughly a third of the average home's electric needs. The installed price, without financial incentives, starts at about $15,000.  Read about sample Skystream installations>>

For smaller off-grid applications, such as in cabins, trailers and boats, a battery-based system is ideal.  The Air-X wind turbine is a 400W turbine, designed to charge one or more batteries to run lights and other DC-based appliances.  The battery power can also be converted to AC using an inverter.  This turbine will produce 38kWh per month with sustained winds of 12 mph.  The installed price without incentives starts at about $2,500.  Read about sample Air-X installations>>

In urban settings where the built environment results in increased turbulence, vertical-axis wind turbines can be more effective.  Traditional wind turbines spin on a horizontal axis, parallel to the ground.  Vertical axis turbines, on the other hand, spin around the tower itself, and are less susceptible to turbulence.  The Mariah Windspire is a 1.2kW wind turbine that can be easily incorporated into a residential or commercial setting.  The turbine produces approximately 166kWh of power per month in 12 mph winds.  The installed price before incentives are applied starts at $10,000.  Read about sample Windspire installations>>

Wind is a rich, clean, abundant source of energy, and if you are blessed with sufficient resources to benefit from this gift, please be sure to consider the worthwhile investment.  In the past, people have been quick to curse the wind, but now many are smiling upon their newfound fortune!

Rosecran Air National Guard Base installs 30kW solar system on roof of engine shop

The Missouri Air National Guard is capturing energy from the sun to supplement its electric power needs.  This initiative is in response to an executive order requiring that the base use renewable resources for at least 13 percent of their energy consumption by 2013.  The order also requires that all federal entities reduce their electric and natural gas consumption by 30 percent within the same timeframe.

The Rosecran Air National Guard Base, home to the 139^th Airlift Wing, recently added 30,000 watts of solar power to their engine shop.  The Energy Savings Store designed the system using 135 American-made Sharp solar panels, which will produce approximately 4000 kilowatt hours of power per month.  For comparative purposes, this is enough electricity to power three or four average size homes.  Any excess power produced by the system can be used by other buildings on the base.

The Energy Savings Store also supplied, supervised and supported the installation of the solar panels and other electrical components for the system.  Miljavac Electric, a local electrical contractor based in St. Joseph, was the prime contractor on the project, creating local jobs.

Doug Cerra, project engineer in charge of solar energy for the base, said that by the end of 2009, the base is in line to have a total of about 700 panels on five buildings.  The combined power capacity of these systems is over 150kW.  This is expected to reduce overall electric consumption by about 40%, saving the base approximately $89,000 per year.  The solar panels generate the most power in the summer, when the days are longer and the sun is higher in the sky. The solar power will offset the peak power consumption during the hottest months.

You can find additional details in an article in the St. Joe News or watch a news story that aired on KQTV, the St. Joe Channel.

Uni-Solar PV laminate strips generate 3.2 kW of power

The Village Presbyterian Church in Overland Park has a number of outreach ministries, one of which is its Food Pantry and Clothes Closet.  The mission provides food and clothing along with personal and household products to low-income clients in a safe and friendly environment.  In its desire to promote sustainability, church leaders embarked upon a project to build a "green" food pantry, and hired Gastinger Walker Harden Architects to design the new facility.

The designers incorporated a number of green features in the building, including abundant natural daylight from roof-mounted skylights.  A portion of the power needed for the pantry's freezers comes from a 3.2 kW solar PV laminate system, installed by The Energy Savings Store.  As you can see from the photo, the "peel & stick"  Uni-SolarPV laminate strips are applied directly to the roof membrane, so they provide clean, renewable energy in an inconspicuous manner.  Solar PV laminate systems provide a lot of flexibility, and also work well on standing seam metal roofs or other smooth surfaces.  This grid-tied solution provides an average of 400 kWh of electricity a month.

Bob Solger, owner of The Energy Savings Store, worked closely with the architect and building owner to make sure everyone's expectations were met.  Al Pugsley, a member of Village Presbyterian Church's environmental action committee, said there's no doubt who will be installing a solar system at his house.  "Bob is a big part of the renewable energy market that's going on in Kansas City.  I'm very pleased with the work he's done."

InSpire Solar Air Heating Wall heats in winter and cools in summer

As a full-service distributor of electrical and data communications products, Western Extralite decided to leverage technology in their new warehouse in Manhattan, Kansas.  The building was built with a long, south-facing wall that had great solar exposure.  Solar air heating is a relatively simple, low-cost technology with the most attractive payback of all of the solar technologies.  The company selected The Energy Savings Store to install the solar air heating system, which both heats in the winter and cools in the summer.

Air is distributed through a "sock" duct suspended from the warehouse ceiling

In the cool months of winter, the InSpire Solar Air Heating Wall from Atas  pre-heats outside air using solar energy, which is distributed into the 17,000 square ft. building through a porous "sock" duct suspended from the ceiling.  In the summer, the system distributes cool overnight air into the building to cool the facility.  The system is designed to dramatically reduce heating and cooling costs of the building and should have a 6-8 year payback.  In addition, the company is proud to be reducing its carbon footprint and improving air quality.

This solar air heating system was the first of its kind in the Midwest, and is surely to be a model for future development.  The company has other facilities across Missouri, Kansas and Illinois, and hopes to capitalize on this technology in other locations.

Solar-powered security lights illuminate "green" parking lot

CFM Distributors, an employee-owned HVAC and refrigeration distribution company, recently completed a series of projects to "green up" their 7-story building and parking lot in Kansas City's historic West Bottoms area.  Tom Roberts, president of the 40 year old company, has initiated a number of green projects for the company, including a complete lighting retrofit and energy control system in partnership with Kansas City Power & Light.  They also created a parking lot designed to minimize stormwater runoff, lit by a solar PV-powered security lighting system designed and installed by The Energy Savings Store.

The security lighting system is powered by a 225W SEPCO solar electric lighting system with a 224 amp battery pack.  The 100x65'  lot is lit by two 32W CFL power flood lamps mounted on the wall of the building overlooking the parking lot.  The parking area features flow through gravel paving and a rainwater recovery and distribution systems to irrigate the landscaping.

24 216W Sharp solar PV panels form a total of 5184W of power from solar energy

In addition, The Energy Savings Store installed a 5kW solar PV system to generate renewable energy to offset the power used in the 100,000 ft. building.  The solar array is also a joint project with KCP&L, designed to save CFM money and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.