One of SDA’s most recent engineering projects (with partial procurement services) is nearing completion. The ground mounted 500kW array is being built in Swansea, MA for Tim Cabral, an electrical contractor local to the area. Cabral secured financing through a local bank with an agreement in which part of his repayment includes the bank’s use of the PV electricity generated by the system to power its various branches. This innovative model allows Cabral to take advantage of the SREC income and state and federal tax credits for the PV system while having an off-taker who benefits from renewable electricity at a fixed and reduced rate.
The 69-acre site includes 2,394 PV modules on a seasonally adjustable mounting system. SDA has prescribed the optimal tilt angle for each of the seasons, to which Tim and his sons will adjust the system four times a year. This manually adjustable system provides greater energy harvest throughout the year than a fixed tilt system, and it is more cost effective and reliable than a PV tracker.
