Helios Solar Works, a manufacturer of mono-crystalline PV modules, has announced that modules from its Milwaukee, Wisconsin production facility were supplied for the 1.7 megawatt installation at the Marine Corp Recruiting Depot (MCRD) as part of the Marine Corp Energy Initiative. The project was commissioned on July 9th. Helios has supplied 3 megawatts of modules for the MCRD. This latest project was a ground mount installation using Helios’ 410 and 415 watt 9T6 Series panels.
The cost savings and time savings associated with this installation are a testament to the economic benefits of large format 9T6 Series panels. Installation data from Dynalectric confirmed savings expectations. Bob Riel, VP and Division Manager of Dynalectric San Diego, estimated that module installation labor alone was cut by 37%, racking material costs were cut by 12% and racking labor reduced 11%. Mounting and grounding hardware was also reduced by nearly 40%. Dynalectric had previously used Helios 250 watt modules; however, after running the numbers using the 9T6 Series modules Bob elected to switch to the larger power source. “We were able to get more power on the allocated land and save MCRD money simply by switching to a more powerful module. It is that simple.”
Dynalectric Foreman Donny Kludt added “I firmly believe that larger panels are the way to go on a larger job like this” citing faster installation, less material and fewer points of failure as key success factors.
Steve Ostrenga, CEO of Helios Solar Works, stated, "having formerly been in the US Army Reserve, I am proud to have Helios modules on the MCRD. Energy security is paramount to our national security and Helios will continue to partner with strong contractors like Dynalectric to serve our Armed Forces by providing cost effective solutions." Helios markets its 9T6 Series module for medium to large scale installations where total system installation costs and high reliability are important.
This installation is the newest piece of the Marine Corp Energy Initiative at the MCRD