SolarEdge Technologies has provided a DC-optimized PV system for a 12-acre solar farm in Foster, Rhode Island. The Hartford Pike site is set to produce more than 6.2 MW of solar energy each year, more than half of which will be made available to local residents and businesses via a community solar arrangement. The site includes a mix of 15,800 bifacial and mono-facial solar modules equipped with SolarEdge Power Optimizers to maximize energy production and reduce O&M costs over the system’s lifetime.
Administered on behalf of Sunlight General Capital by renewable energy provider Arcadia, the community solar portion of the project is expected to produce around 4.4 million kWh of solar energy in its first year.
SolarEdge was selected for its ability to overcome traditional challenges to community solar projects, including undulating ground, which can restrict module placement, and shading from nearby trees. SolarEdge’s Power Optimizers attach directly to solar modules and enable independent operation, meaning the underperformance of one module, for example, due to module mismatch, will not impact the others on the same string, ensuring maximized energy production. Plus, the SolarEdge solution can be placed at any pitch or orientation — including on uneven ground — increasing the number of modules that can be used and the amount of energy produced.
“Another important goal is to reduce O&M costs over the system lifetime. To optimize energy production at the Hartford Pike project, we need to be able to monitor all 15,800 solar modules in real time and ensure we can pinpoint any issues quickly and efficiently,” said James Pochez, director of project development at SunLight General Capital. “The equipment we use will impact our business for the next 25 years or more, so it is in our interest to choose the best-quality solution available.”
