South East Police Station Energy Upgrades
Powering the Workforce with Sustainable Energy
Goals
Solutions
Results
Rewiring the Dallas Police Department
Being the first respondents to a crisis, it is crucial to keep the workplace powered up 24/7. Due to rising electricity rates, it is intuitive for large-scale buildings to invest in alternative power sources. Renewable power sources are the superior option because they meet all or most of the energy needs of the facility. Furthermore, they are inexhaustible with minimum carbon footprint.
Dallas Southeast Police Station had a high performance building that needed power upgrades to increase its energy efficiency and to cut down on electricity expenses. They chose METCO to install Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems that would share the load with the transmission grid.
- Industry Local
- Location Dallas, Texas
- ServicesGeneral Contracting & Engineering
Reliable Power Solution for the Department
METCO engineers, installed 304 solar panel modules on the rooftop that collectively produce 98.8 kW electricity, meeting 50% of building’s energy demand. These are grid-connected AC systems with no battery or generator backup. A battery system was opted out to eliminate the need for battery charge that consumes significant energy.
As a result, these PV systems are wired into the grid to power up the facility. The other 50% of power requirements that are not being met by the solar systems get fulfilled by the transmission grid.
- Construction Cost $246874
- Annual Cost Savings $12528
- Electricity Savings142147 kWh/yr
- Simple Payback (years) 19.7 yrs
Putting the System Together
METCO managed the installation of solar PV systems on the Southeast division of the Dallas Police Station. The division was first evaluated for its solar potential. The assessment was to see if the area receives enough sunlight for the PV systems to function adequately. The building site evaluation also included checking for sun blocking factors such as trees, buildings and other obstructions such as billboards. Orientation of PV systems were also configured, along with calculation of space to accommodate solar arrays.
These utility-connected systems produce the same quality of alternating current that is produced by the AC mains. They have the following basic components:
1. Solar photovoltaic modules
2. Mounting racks
3. Combiner box with surge protection
4. Inverter
5. Meters
6.Disconnects
Our job was to install grid-tied photovoltaic systems and this was handled by our field experts. We systematically executed the project straight through to completion. Building codes and protocols were followed strictly while we worked from ground up to erect a solar power supply for the Southeast Police Station.
Benefits of Choosing METCO
Work with a Team of Certified Professionals
METCO’s trained and certified engineers implemented all aspects of design considerations into the project. Aesthetics of the building were considered while the installation was in progress. The solar PV system, boasting a power rating of 98.8 kW, allows Dallas Southeast division to save $12,528 annually and 142,147 kWh/yr of electricity.
All safety protocols were made effective as the main part of the project required manpower on the roof. Guidelines on sizing, electrical requirements, wiring, conduits, grounding and overcurrent protection were all followed strictly.
Successful completion of the project by METCO allowed the Dallas Police Station to step into the green energy frontier, becoming a bearer of sustainable energy.