With COP21 not far behind us and an election on the horizon, climate change and renewable energy continue to be front and center issues on the world stage. Conversely, while electricity rates across the country continue to increase, solar panels have become more affordable and viable than ever. Yet, at a time when green technology is expanding, one question still remains – why aren’t more commercial building professionals investing in clean energy projects?
Battling complex climates
Within the corporate climate, choosing when and how to go solar is a big decision for many companies. Solar installations require committed, experienced partners capable of providing a seamless process from conception to Operations and Maintenance. Unfortunately, more often than not, strong project support at the start diminishes down the line once a project is up and running, where it is needed to ensure a system’s long-term health. To take the first step, building officials and facility managers need assurance that they are working with a qualified company that will stand by their installation for years to come.
Environmentally speaking, a region’s climate can also be a major hurdle. Typically, a solar system’s central inverters are designed to protect against snow. A pioneer in the solar industry since 1975, Panasonic’s rich history of solar project development includes systems constructed in areas prone to heavy snow and aggressive winds. These extreme elements caused precipitation to enter into the central inverters, resulting in serious problems. The challenge here was sourcing and developing an inverter that could flourish in these harsh climates.
O&M in action
When it comes to complex climates, from a corporate or environmental perspective, the value of comprehensive O&M comes into play. With the full O&M package – NOC and maintenance services, operations and asset management, total system protection, expert technical guidance and guarantees – solar adopters are able to maximize return on investment, optimize system performance and minimize operating costs while controlling long-term costs. A full EPC vendor delivering O&M services for highest performance energy generation and ROI, Panasonic provides a sense of comprehensive quality assurance, all backed by an $11 billion balance sheet.
For those projects under the onslaught of severe weather, the Panasonic O&M team went to the source, conducting a root cause analysis with the inverter manufacturer. Working together, Panasonic and the inverter manufacturer identified the necessary design modifications, prototyped an innovative snow shield design, and deployed it as a retrofit
This is just one example of how Panasonic works with its industry-leading Engineering and Development teams of more than 100 employees across the country to ensure project success and keep each installation thriving. When an issue does arise, the Panasonic O&M planning and scheduling team dispatches a technician, optimizing their time onsite to ensure a fast, reliable and cost-effective solution is put into place. With these practices at hand, solar systems are set for success for decades to come.
To learn more about Panasonic O&M services, please visit www.panasonic.com/energysolutions.
Related Stories
| Apr 12, 2011
Entrance pavilion adds subtle style to Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
A $13 million gift from the Otis Booth Foundation is funding a new entrance pavilion at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. CO Architects, Los Angeles, is designing the frameless structure with an energy-efficient curtain wall, vertical suspension rods, and horizontal knife plates to make it as transparent as possible.
| Apr 11, 2011
Wind turbines to generate power for new UNT football stadium
The University of North Texas has received a $2 million grant from the State Energy Conservation Office to install three wind turbines that will feed the electrical grid and provide power to UNT’s new football stadium.
| Mar 17, 2011
Carbon footprint of public sector buildings in England and Wales to be released
The energy usage of 40,146 public buildings—including schools, hospitals, and offices—in England and Wales is being released to the public.
| Mar 8, 2011
Building, energy performance rating site launched
The Institute for Market Transformation and the Natural Resources Defense Council announced the launch of BuildingRating.org, the world’s first comprehensive resource on energy performance rating and disclosure policies for commercial buildings and homes.
| Mar 2, 2011
New ASHRAE standard may be too broad for the Canadian market
New Standard 189.1 from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which goes beyond energy efficiency to include provisions that affect construction, post-occupancy monitoring, and site control, may be too much for the Canadian market—at least for now.
| Mar 1, 2011
Honeywell to implement China’s first smart grid project for managing energy use in commercial buildings
Honeywell announced it was selected to develop and implement China’s first smart grid pilot project and feasibility study for managing energy use in commercial buildings, also known as demand-side management. The project is part of a grant agreement signed today between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and State Grid Electric Power Research Institute (SGEPRI), sponsor of the project and a subsidiary of State Grid Corp. of China.
| Feb 24, 2011
New reports chart path to net-zero-energy commercial buildings
Two new reports from the Zero Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium (CBC) on achieving net-zero-energy use in commercial buildings say that high levels of energy efficiency are the first, largest, and most important step on the way to net-zero.
