Atlanta GA largest office building solar plant is now hot and producing electricity. On the roof of the ten story Peachtree building there are now 684 solar panels pulsating with power to offset the buildings electrical demand.
Hannah Solar has completed the largest solar array on any office building in Atlanta’s history. Partnering with Atlanta Property Group’s ten-story Peachtree Building located at 1720 Peachtree Street, the two companies have equipped the first multi-tenant building in the city with its own solar plant. In a story posted by South East Green, the array consists of 684 Solar Panels covering the entire roof and is able to generate 225,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
The solar project is a joint solar installation venture that also includes the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), the U.S. Department of Energy, Georgia Power, the Public Service Commission and solar panel manufacturer, Schüco-USA.
“This was one of the most complex solar arrays sublimation due to the interconnection with the utility company and the custom engineered rooftop solar mounting system that was required,” said Hannah Solar CEO Pete Marte.
“This large solar installation demonstrates we are committed both to reducing operating costs for our tenants and to being leaders in resource-saving innovations,” said Jonathan Rodbell, Partner with Atlanta Property Group. In addition, advised by Perkins + Will, the Peachtree 25th Building is in the process of obtaining LEED-EB certification.
The solar array consists of 684 Schüco 225-watt solar modules, two ‘PV Power’ inverters and a custom engineered mounting system for securing the arrays to the roof.The system is considered a 150-kilowatt DC solar array and will have an output of 225,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of nearly 50 homes.
“This solar array is projected to generate more than 6.75 million kilowatt hours during its 30 year life with very little operating or maintenance expenses and without any harm to the environment,” said Pat O’Donnell, VP of Operations for Hannah Solar one of solar contractors on the project.
CEO Marte added, “The long-term delivery cost of the solar power plant will be far lower than current electric rates and are essentially fixed for the life of the system, giving the Peachtree 25th Building a distinct advantage over the next 30 years. This project will also help to save up to 225,000 gallons of water annually that would normally be required to cool traditional electricity production plants.”
The Peachtree 25th Building is a 365,000-square foot office building and a notable midtown landmark in the Brookwood section of Peactree Street. “It is fitting that such a well known and highly visible building is leading the way in commercial solar application,” said Marte, who also applauded Ted Turner’s recently announced ground mounted solar array in downtown Atlanta.
As an active member of the Georgia Solar Energy Association, Pete Marte also said, “we would like to see more solar tax incentives tied to jobs, like the movie production tax credits which require no funding until after the job is complete and people have been employed.”