Beyond’s Going Green
We’ve decided to contribute to the efforts of the “going green project” and install solar panels on our Chicago studio roof. It’s an exciting time for Beyond Design and we’re officially up and running. We work to stay on the cutting edge, including on how we use energy.
In the summer 2014 we installed (53) solar PV panels, maxing out space on the roof. This 14.6kW array will offset close to 25% of our electricity needs by producing over 17,200 kWh annually! Solar Service of Niles, IL was selected as our installer based on their superior design solutions, 37-years’ experience and expertise with permitting, interconnection and net metering and that their installation crew is certified by NABCEP, the gold standard for solar accreditation.
The solar array pairs the American made SolarWorld 275 watt modules with Enphase 250 microinverters, both top-tier quality components. Using a Chicago SBIF Grant and Federal Tax Credits, our system was incredibly affordable and should produce energy for at least the next 25 years! It is relatively maintenance free and we have access to an online monitor which not only reports how the system is performing but will also alert us if there is a problem. Solar Service has turned our roof into a money maker while cleaning up our energy needs, exciting eh?
Big shout out to Lisa Albrecht and Garrison Riegel at Solar Service for making this happen. For more updates, please visit our live page here to see our progress in our green movement!