SolarEdge and Arch Photo voltaic introduced the completion of a virtually 390-kW rooftop photo voltaic mission at Nicolet Union Excessive College in Glendale, Wisconsin. Since coming on-line in Fall 2024, the system has been producing clear vitality and decreasing operational prices for the college whereas serving as a hands-on instructional useful resource for college students.
The photo voltaic array, that includes high-efficiency modules and SolarEdge SE100K-US inverters, has produced greater than 477 MWh of electrical energy in its first operational yr. The system now powers almost 19% of the college’s annual vitality wants.
“At SolarEdge, we’re dedicated to creating clear vitality smarter, extra environment friendly, and extra accessible,” stated Charles Ellis, VP of C&I gross sales for SolarEdge. “This mission with Arch Photo voltaic and Nicolet Excessive College is a robust instance of how good photo voltaic expertise can ship long-term worth, each financially and academically, to native communities.”
Designed and put in by Arch Photo voltaic, the system spans seven distinct rooftop sections and makes use of TerraGen racking at 15° and 23° tilts. The design overcame complicated challenges, together with various roof heights, shading and structural limitations. Utilizing SolarEdge Designer, the mission crew optimized the structure and manufacturing whereas incorporating future scalability into {the electrical} and inverter infrastructure.
“This wasn’t simply one other set up; it was a group funding,” stated Andrew Holmstrom, enterprise growth supervisor at Arch Photo voltaic. “Lots of our workers dwell close by, and my very own youngsters will in the future attend Nicolet Excessive College. Realizing that they’ll be studying underneath the identical roof that we’ve helped remodel with clear vitality makes this extremely private. It’s not nearly panels, it’s about setting an instance for the subsequent technology and displaying our group what’s potential while you put money into sustainability.”
The mission was a part of a broader $80 million campus renovation initiative and was supported by federal and state incentives, together with the Inflation Discount Act and Wisconsin’s Give attention to Vitality program. With these incentives, Nicolet minimize its anticipated photo voltaic mission prices in half, leading to a payback interval of simply 6.4 years.
“This mission represents a lot greater than vitality financial savings,” stated Jeffrey Pruefer, Director of Enterprise Companies at Nicolet Union Excessive College. “It’s a dedication to sustainability, training, and long-term stewardship. Our college students can now work together with dwell vitality knowledge from the SolarEdge platform — turning our rooftop into an extension of the classroom.”
The college has already begun integrating SolarEdge’s real-time monitoring instruments and environmental sensors into its STEM curriculum. With detailed insights into irradiance, temperature and vitality consumption, college students are gaining firsthand publicity to scrub vitality applied sciences and knowledge evaluation.
Trying forward, the system has been engineered for future growth, with capability for added rooftop panels or photo voltaic carports and the potential to combine battery storage.
Information merchandise from SolarEdge