Grace Bible Church Commercial Solar Installation

Grace Bible Church Commercial Solar Installation

Grace Bible Church

Project Overview:

Grace Bible Church in Escondido California requested Absolutely Electric’s help in designing and building a Photovoltaic system that would mitigate energy usage as well as keep energy demand under a certain threshold, allowing Grace to realize the financial benefits of the most advantageous utility tariff. AE worked with Deacons Ken Boe and Vernon Nicklow P.E. to find the synergy of cost and benefit within these parameters.

Project Highlights:

  • 70% of Grace’s energy usage is Solar Powered
  • 32kW DC Solar System
  • Uses SolarWorld and SolarEdge Panels and Inverters.
  • Panels and Inverters.
  • 48,000kWh generated annually.
  • Offsets 24 metric tons of CO2 annually
  • Equal to 6 homes annual electrical use
  • Equal to 1,200 trees’ ability to process CO2
  • Designed and Built by Absolutely Electric Inc. in 2015.

 

 

When faced with significant increases in future utility costs our church embarked on a two-pronged approach to reduce our utility bills. The first was to replace old HVAC systems. The second was to explore solar. Absolutely Electric was recommended to us by our HVAC contractor. We are very thankful they did. We talked with several solar contractors but were extremely impressed with Travis Nixon and Absolutely Electric. It was great to work with Travis and have someone who understood our technical questions and concerns. His technical knowledge and expertise was very refreshing to us (me as an electrical engineer and my co-volunteer in this project, a structural engineer). Travis addressed all my questions as I independently confirmed his solar production and cost models. His models are quite accurate and conservative. Our implemented design is producing more than the model prediction. He also addressed my co-volunteer’s structural engineering rail system wind loading questions and even incorporated his suggested staggered rail mount design to reduce wind loads on individual rafters. This is the mark of a true professional, adopting new and proven ideas to improve their products and services for their customers. We were also impressed with Earl Mohler, who coordinated the details of our solar project and kept us closely in the loop during the process. Our church solar system has been delivering as promised, along with the real savings in reduced energy costs.

In summary, we are very thankful we were introduced to Travis Nixon and Absolutely Electric. As further testament to our confidence and satisfaction with Absolutely Electric, both I and my co-volunteer went with Travis and Absolutely Electric for our own solar installations. Our personal satisfaction with Absolutely Electric also has resulted in several other families from our congregation contracting with them for their own solar installations.

Vernon Nicklow
Grace Bible Church

Project Charts…

Guardian Angels Church Commercial Solar Installation

Guardian Angels Church Commercial Solar Installation

Guardian Angels Catholic Church

Project Overview:

Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Santee California requested that Absolutely Electric Inc provide a holistic solution energy efficiency solution to the campus, which includes a worship sanctuary, a Parsonage, meeting and administration facilities, and a Preschool. AE and GACC Members Steve Bollerman, Joe Zuniga, and Elda Woodson identified a lighting and controls retrofit opportunity as well as candidacy for a Photovoltaic (Solar Power) System. Using third party Utility rebates and Incentives, AE designed and installed a new lighting system, at a discounted cost to GACC. A few months later AE followed up with the design and construction of a Solar Power System sized to the reduced energy load. These steps, along with AE guidance to the proper Utility tariff an have resulted in SCUMC becoming a Net Zero Energy House of Worship.

Project Highlights:

  • 30% of GACC energy usage was reduced with a LED Lighting Retrofit.
  • 100% of GACC’s remaining energy usage is
    Solar Power
  • 42kWDC Solar System
  • Uses Hyundai and SolarEdge
    Panels and Inverters.
  • 81,000kWh generated or offset annually.
  • Offsets 41 metric tons of CO2 annually
  • Equal to 10 homes annual electrical use
  • Equal to 2048 trees’ ability to process CO2
  • Designed & Built by Absolutely Electric in 2016.

We, at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Santee, were looking for a reliable and honest solar company to work with in an effort to reduce our ever increasing electric bills.

We received bids and spoke with 4 companies, but ultimately went with Absolutely Electric and are extremely pleased with your work and the outcome.  Your knowledge of the product, ability to explain every step of the process involved and what to expect, your willingness to work with everyone and make sure we were happy sold us.

You laid out a most efficient lighting plan for the parish parking lots which made a tremendous difference in safety for our parishioners and guests.  In addition, we now have more light in the church, our halls, meeting rooms, offices and are spending less.

Travis Nixon and Earl Mohler, were very hands on throughout the project, took time to show us how to check our system to make sure everything was working, spot any problems (which we have not had) and worked with us and SDG&E to make sure we were in the correct billing rate.

You always responded to our queries promptly and never made us feel it was an imposition.  We are very happy with your work, the amount of electricity we’re saving and the money.

If we were to start this process over again, we would definitely go with Absolutely Electric!

Elda Woodson
Parish Bookkeeper, Guardian Angels Catholic Church