Department of Children and Families Goes Green with QuickBeam Energy

“In a lot of our facilities, the electric costs are built in. We are interested in what we are paying and what’s going out. […] We are active in the Governor’s initiative in trying to go Green” – Ann Berner, Circuit 10 Administrator

Organization:
Department of Children and Families - Winter Haven, FL

Industry:
Commercial Real Estate/Lease

Introduction:
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state agency responsible for strengthening families where child abuse or neglect has occurred. The agency serving the greater Winter Haven community leases a space near the downtown area where their office operations are hosted. The office building operates mainly on weekdays during the daytime.

Opportunity:
The DCF worked in conjunction with the owner of the building, the 6/10 Corporation, to lower the operating expenses of the building. The building is relatively new, with highly efficient lighting and insulation already incorporated. Installing a solar electric system seemed like a natural next step to increase energy savings.

Solution:
After a thorough analysis of their historic power consumption, QuickBeam Energy recommended that they install a 27kW system, which maximized the solar rebates available at the time.

Benefits:

The DCF system will produce approximately 3,600 kilowatt hours of electricity a month
This represents as much as $500 a month in power savings
30% tax credit from the Federal Government
$100,000 rebate from the State of Florida
The building consumes its power from the solar system, reducing its utility expenses and peak charges. In weekends, when the system produces more than the building consumes, the excess electricity is put back into the electric grid, effectively causing their power meter to spin backwards.

Project Details:
Location: Winter Haven, FL
Installation Date: May, 2008
System Size: 27kW
Number of solar panels: 132
Solar panel model: Kyocera KD-205GX-LP
Inverter Manufacturer: Solectria
Mounting Equipment: Unirac
Estimated Payback: 4 years