Winfield Park District embarked on a mission to adopt renewable energy by implementing a rooftop solar system. The primary challenge encountered during the implementation was the size limitation imposed by the commercial market’s support for single phase inverters. The optimal configuration for the Park District required three phase 277/480V string inverters. However, the Electric Distribution (EDC) presented two options for interconnecting the planned solar system to the grid. The first option was to upgrade the transformer to interconnect three phase inverters, a costly endeavor due to the facility’s existing open delta configuration, which does not support three-phase inverters. The alternative was to revise the plan to accommodate single-phase inverters, diverging from the initial, more efficient, three-phase system design.
To address this challenge, the Winfield Park District, alongside their solar solutions provider, decided to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of both options. Given the significant costs and potential delays associated with upgrading the transformer, the decision was made to revise the electrical plan to integrate single-phase inverters into the system. To counteract the limitations of these inverters, the team strategically increased the number of inverters installed. This approach allowed for the distribution of power generation across more units, thereby maintaining the system’s overall efficiency and output while complying with EDC’s regulations and the existing electrical infrastructure. The case serves as an exemplary model for other commercial entities facing similar technical and regulatory challenges in implementing rooftop solar systems.
- System Size and Type: 159 kW Rooftop Solar PV System.
- Annual Electricity Generation: The system is expected to produce 174,521 kWh of energy annually.
- Annual Environmental Impact: The installation is projected to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 122 tons annually, equivalent to the CO2 emissions from consuming 11,976 gallons of gasoline.
- Role: Developer and EPC
